


Schadenfreude

by tempered_rose



Category: Football RPF, RPF - Fandom, Real Person Fiction, Sports RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Ordinary People, Alternate Universe - Serial Killers, Attempted Murder, Drama, Established Relationship, Eventual Smut, Everyone Has Issues, Everyone Needs A Hug, Friends to Lovers, German Football, German National Team, Kinky, Lesbian Character, Male Friendship, Male Slash, Male-Female Friendship, Multi, Multiple Pairings, Murder, Murder Mystery, Mystery, Original Character(s), Past Relationship(s), Porn, Porn With Plot, Relationship(s), Schadenfreude, Serial Killers, Slash, Smut, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Suspense, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-28
Updated: 2014-08-13
Packaged: 2018-02-10 18:36:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 29,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2035752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tempered_rose/pseuds/tempered_rose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern Alternate Universe where Miroslav is a detective for the Munich Police. He has a new partner, Thomas Müller, who is as green as the grass. One particular case sets both of them down a path that will test their working relationship and their personal one and they have to answer one important question...</p><p>Who is the newest serial killer in Munich?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One: Alleyway Victim

**Author's Note:**

> A new fic. I hope you like it! Comments are love, concrit is welcome.
> 
>  

_There was always something about shitty techno music that brought out the crazies._ It was a long-established firm belief that had yet to be proven wrong, Miro told himself as he checked over the body. Torsten, the coroner, was already checking his pockets for ID and Miro awaited a ruling as to who their mystery man was. While waiting, he glanced to the mouth of the alley outside the club to see where his new partner had gotten to.

Miro almost rolled his eyes when he saw the young boy talking to the sole witness, a waitress from the café around the corner. _Of course, speak to the girl first_. Miro shook his head and returned to looking at the area surrounding the body. At least if Thomas was speaking to her, that meant he wouldn’t have to. There was some perks to having a decade-younger partner after all it seemed. All the physical work, like running and chasing suspects, he would leave to Thomas, Miro established for future engagements, if they were necessary. He hoped not.

The pulsing beat of the previously mentioned pop music shook the wall behind him so much so that the metal signs would vibrate with the deeper beats. The club, _Schadenfreude_ , was newer to the area, Miro mentally recounted as he saw his new partner starting towards him having finally finished with the waitress.

“What do you think?” Miro asked once he had gotten close enough.

“She’s easily an eight, but she’s not really my type. I’m not into blondes.” The boy replied with a grin, he was always grinning. Miro wanted to throttle him. They were at work. 

“I’ll be sure to let the _victim_ know he’s not your _type_.” Miro replied shortly, lips forming a straight line of disapproval. The grin immediately left his partner’s face as Thomas glanced down at the misfortunate soul that had their attentions for the evening.

The man was around six foot, brown hair. He was lying on his right side, arm outstretched as if he had been reaching for something. Miro didn’t see anything apart from some rubbish in the alley that could possibly have been worth going for. _Perhaps the killer took it_ , he had already thought.

Thomas looked back up to Miro’s face and waited until he had the older man’s eyes before he spoke again.

“She didn’t see anything.” Thomas motioned to the alley’s mouth where the waitress had disappeared. “Only that someone in a dark hoodie and jeans took off, but she couldn’t specifically place them in here, only that they were near the alley. She works at the café; I told her to call me if she remembered anything. I gave her my card.”

Miro nodded, ignoring the proud tone Thomas used about giving out his card. He had been entirely too happy when he had been issued them. Miro wondered briefly he had passed them to his friends for proof of employment or if he had done it just for a laugh. If he had done that at all.

“Very well. Torsten.” Miro turned to address their silent friend. “Do we have anything yet?”

The other man shook his head, his long hair pulled back into a ponytail for work. “Not yet. I will check his prints and see if we have any results once we return him to the morgue. His ID cards are missing and there is no wallet.”

Miroslav nodded and looked around the alley once again before turning to his new partner. The younger man was literally rocking on his heels, hands in his pockets, looking as if he needed something to do.

Miro waited until Torsten and his assistant had loaded up the body and the rest of the crime scene investigators were finishing their photographs before he turned to address his new partner.

“I’m returning with Torsten. You find me that wallet.”

Miro started to leave, side-stepping Thomas as he followed Torsten.

“But…what if the killer took it with him? What if it isn’t here?”

Miro turned to look at his partner with a single raised eyebrow and slightly-narrowed eyes. Thomas seemed to shrink down a little, impressive for a lad over six foot. Miro kept his expression in the disapproving look he had, instead of reflecting the mirth of his teasing.

One last look and Miro turned to continue following Torsten. Miro had already searched the alley; the wallet wasn’t there. He wondered what Thomas would come up with instead.

\---

There was an additional desk in Miroslav’s office, bigger than the one he used and had better lighting. Still, it remained unused with a few scattered papers and a terminally powered-off computer on it that was collecting dust. A coat was left on the corner of the chair, the container of pens on the table still had a few half-chewed pens with their caps on. A notebook was opened to a blank page with one of those pens resting on top of it, waiting to be picked up and used.

Miro sat in the corner of the office, looking over recent news reports from the _Schadenfreude_ and the area surrounding it. Most of the reports were small crimes, muggings and peeping-Toms in the nearby residential area of the district. There had been no murders save one in the area until tonight. The prior murder had been a domestic incident over three months ago.

Torsten had sent the victim’s finger prints for analysis and was currently running his DNA. The cause of death had been established at the scene: stab wounds to the chest, near the heart, a close contact crime. From the lack of defensive wounds, it appeared that the victim knew his killer.

 _That makes one of us_. Miro thought, leaning back in his chair. The wooden piece of furniture creaked at the movement. He ran a hand over his jaw and glanced at the clock. It was past three in the morning. Miroslav had given up the superstition of the witching hour; he’d had to once he had settled into this job. The witching hour could happen at any time, not just at three.

He thought about calling it a night and going home. He would have done too, but Thomas had texted earlier saying that he was on his way back with ‘something’. Miro wanted him to hurry up so he could go home. Shaking his head, Miro stood up from the desk and rubbed his lower back as he started to the coffee pot in the break room. The fact he was getting older was getting more evident, unfortunately.

Grunting slightly in disapproval of the turn of his thoughts, Miro poured himself a new cup of coffee. He could do with a fresh cup but he didn’t feel like remaking it. The two-hour old brew would suffice for now.

That was where Thomas found him when he ended up arriving about ten minutes later. It appeared as if the younger man had crawled through a dumpster, a fact which had Miro raising his eyebrow and giving his new partner a very long look over. As soon as Thomas got closer, Miro noticed something else also. He _smelled_ as if he’d crawled through a dumpster.

“Did you find the wallet?” Miro asked, amused. Thomas shot him a glare, probably realizing that Miro hadn’t actually meant for him to search the alley after all.

“ _No._ ” Thomas said through gritted teeth. Miro tutted and shook his head before starting to turn away. “But I _did_ find his identification.”

Miro turned back, hand outstretched. Thomas handed over the plastic evidence bag. Miro looked at it, the wrinkles he refused to admit were there creasing his forehead as he frowned.

“Kevin Großkreutz, from Dortmund.” Thomas spoke when Miro didn’t say anything.

Well, that was something worth coming back for. Miro looked at Thomas and nodded, once.

“Thank you, Müller. You may go home and get some rest and a shower now. In the morning we’ll look into where Kevin was staying and why he was in Munich.” Miroslav stated, moving over to log the ID card into evidence.

“Don’t forget to do the same as well, sir.” Thomas replied, not moving from the place where Miro had left him.

Miro knew his limitations and spoke as he documented the evidence.

“I will leave in just a moment. I was waiting for you, actually.”

He didn’t noticed Thomas’ surprised look or the way the other man watched as he leaned over the desk, arm moving slightly to make the proper notes on the paperwork.

“I can wait for you?” Thomas asked, a little hesitation in his voice.

“That won’t be necessary. Besides, you _need_ the shower.” Miro looked over, small smile in place and watched Thomas shift under his gaze.

Thomas shook his head and started to move around the tables of the break room on the way to the door.

“See you in the morning, sir.”

Miro nodded. “Nine in the morning, sharp.”

Miro chuckled a little to himself as Thomas left the office with a small groan.

Carrying the card, Miro returned to his desk where he sat and then looked over the document in his hand. Kevin Großkreutz. Now what would bring a boy aged twenty-three from Dortmund to Munich and leave him murdered in an alleyway, likely by someone he knew?

_Well, Kevin, I am going to find out for you._

Miro turned his back on the empty desk and began typing away again at the computer, trying to find a record for Herr Großkreutz.


	2. Chapter Two: Friendly Favors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The rain had started around seven in the morning and it still continued as Miro pulled up to a stop outside the residence that Thomas called his home. Residence was a kind word, because all it really was was a small apartment building containing a bunch of dingy lower middle class housing.

Miro had never been invited up before, not that he would accept even if he had been. For a brief moment, Miro wondered what sort of state the boy kept his home in. If it was anything like his desk at work, Miro feared for the health department should they ever have to go into Thomas Müller’s apartment.

Miro only had to wait inside the black BMW 5 series for a moment before Thomas came out looking as if he hadn’t slept much. _At least he’s in a suit and brushed his hair_ , Miro noted as the door opened and his partner slid into the car, already closing the door behind his gangly legs. The smell of some sort of cologne washed over Miro and he shook his head. The boy still needed to learn that subtly was key, not overpowering one’s senses with such robust smells. _He has a lot he still needs to learn._

“Did you get some rest, sir?” He asked politely as Miroslav pulled away from the curb.

_Not really, unless you count sleeping in my chair at work resting._ “I did. You smell better than you did earlier this morning.” _If you consider smelling like the entire bottle of cologne ‘better’._

Thomas looked pleased with himself as he leaned back in the car. “Thank you.”

After Thomas put on his seatbelt, Miro pulled back out into traffic and headed back towards the office nearer the city center of Munich. Thomas pulled out his phone and began texting; at least Miro assumed that’s what he was doing since his fingers were practically flying over the screen. He didn’t feel inclined enough to ask.

As he drove back towards the office, Miro thought of what else he had done that morning. It was true; he had fallen asleep in his chair at the office before waking up around zero-six-fifty. It had just started raining as he had gone outside to get in the car. He felt his neck and back were stiff from the position of sleeping in the office and he had gone home for a while. Just for a shower, a shave, breakfast and an aspirin.

What had made him smile, and what had made his whole morning, is that he had seen his boys and had gotten to have breakfast with them. Luan and Noah, both fresh from an evening spent lost in slumber had beamed when they had seen him. They ran to him and he hadn’t wanted to let them go. In fact, he hadn’t, until Luan had scrambled out of his arms to run and get the cereal for breakfast.

Miro kept the image of his fresh-faced boys in his mind until Thomas’ voice stirred him back to the present.

“Did you learn anything else before you went home?” Thomas asked. His fingers had finally stilled on the phone’s screen and he was watching Miroslav.

“No.” Miro replied, tone soft. “I suspect I will have more when we get there.”

He had left the office around five after seven, after he had made a phone call to the authorities in Dortmund. It was still early, of course, but he had left word for one of his friends in the Dortmund branch. Sebastian Kehl, someone who he knew from long ago, was a good man. Miro knew that Seb would definitely look into his records and see if something about Kevin Großkreutz stood out.

Miro frowned a little as he reflected again on that name. Großkreutz, it sounded so familiar and he felt as if he should’ve known it from somewhere. Yet he couldn’t place it. It was annoying him.

Thomas shrugged and looked out the window as the city went past. Thomas’ attention seemed to be on the fading view of the mountains in the distance that were being swallowed up by the buildings as they became closer and closer together and taller. Thomas’ phone started to buzz in his hand after a moment and he answered the call. Another perfect reason to have a younger partner, Miro thought. They could also serve as your answering service to phone calls you’d rather avoid.

Miro half-listened to the conversation from Thomas’ perspective and surmised it was their superior, the head of their department, Jürgen Klinsmann. He guessed it was him because of how little Thomas was talking for a change. When the call ended, Miro glanced over expectantly.

“Klinsi wants to see us when we arrive.” Thomas replied simply and went back to looking out of the window.

Miro acknowledged with a nod before concluding their journey by making a turn into the parking garage for their building in the city center. They exited the vehicle and Miro stretched a little. His back was still stiff and his neck hadn’t quite forgiven him yet. Oh well. He was armed with some aspirin and promised himself he would be sleeping at home in the comfort of his own bed tonight.

They made their way upstairs and Thomas let Miro out of the elevator first. He was respectful, Miro had noted, which was good. Respectful could help cover up the fact the boy could be as subtle as an elephant on the Autobahn at times. Polite manners were at least something commendable. And he was honest, which never hurt either.

Thomas went to his desk, a small cubicle just outside the door of Miroslav’s office, and set his bag down and checked his messages. Miro went straight towards Jürgen’s office, decidedly against making his boss wait. He knocked and waited for Jürgen to nod before he entered.

“Yes, sir?”

Jürgen watched him for a moment before pulling a folder from an orderly stack on his desk. It was the top one. He tapped it and indicated for Miroslav to sit, which he did so. Jürgen looked out the door of his office and barely suppressed a sigh when seeing Thomas still at his desk.

“You have a new case, I heard.” Jürgen opened the folder and Miro saw the name ‘ _Großkreutz_ ’ on the front of the folder. Jürgen flipped through the photos that the crime scene staff had amassed in the hours since the case had been opened. “Do you know who he was?”

Miro hadn’t checked to see if Sebastian had sent him any new information yet. It had only been about two and a half hours, after all. Honesty prevailed over the conflict of not having any information for his superior.

“No sir.” Before he could open his mouth to inform him that he had someone in Dortmund assisting them in getting new information, Jürgen interrupted.

“You should read the newspapers more often, Miroslav.” Jürgen pushed a morning edition in his direction. He looked up at the door before he spoke again. “Ah, Mr. Müller, how kind of you to join us at last.”

Miroslav almost sighed. _Thomas really needed to learn to be on time._ Miro felt as Thomas came to sit next to him on his left in the other chair in front of Jürgen’s desk. Miro focused on the headline in front of him, frown lines deepening when he recognized a photo of Thomas on the cover in front of the crime scene tape. The headline read ‘ _Banker’s Son Murdered. Großkreutz Heir Slain_ ’. Miro didn’t get a chance to start reading the article underneath because Jürgen started speaking again.

“His father is a well-renowned banker in Berlin. I’m surprised you didn’t recognize the name.”

Miro looked up, frown still in place. How did the press find out about this so quickly? “Am I expected to know every banker in Germany?”

Jürgen smiled a little. “You are, when their wife is more well-known.” When Jürgen noticed the recognition wasn’t taking, he waved his hand. “Search it on the internet later. For now, the Großkreutz are on their way from Berlin on the morning flight. I will deal with them when they arrive. I’m sure they will want to speak with you, Miroslav. I suggest the pair of you find something good to tell them when they arrive, such as the name of who murdered their son.”

Miro nodded and stood, recognizing Jürgen’s polite dismissal. “Of course. We are on it.”

Thomas followed him out of the office after apologizing for being late. Miro heard Jürgen dismiss him with a little less-politeness than he had used with Miroslav. He walked into his office and straight away checked his messages for anything from Sebastian. A simple message was all he had. _Call me._ Miro shook his head and picked up the phone and began to dial as Thomas leaned against the doorframe just inside his office.

The phone rang twice before the familiar voice answered.

“Sebastian.” Miro greeted professionally.

“Ah, Miroslav. Good morning. I found out a few interesting things about your man.” Sebastian replied and Miro could hear the background noise behind him. It faded after a moment; he assumed Sebastian had shut the door that led to the outer office of other employees.

“Oh?”

“Indeed. It seems your Kevin Großkreutz is the son of some banker from Berlin, Martin, and a lady from the old days, Pia Großkreutz.” Miro racked his brain for some recognition of the name and stilled when he did. _So that’s why Jürgen chided him for not recognizing Kevin’s name. Of course._ He let out a breath of surprise. Sebastian continued. “Seems Kevin was in Dortmund because that’s where he was studying. He and his friends had gone to Munich for the end of term celebration.”

“Do you know if they are still here?” Miro asked, excitement causing his heart to beat a little faster. A lead; _at last._

“As far as I know, they are. The few students we could round up who knew him this morning were saying that they expected Kevin and the others to be gone till at least Monday.”

“Thank you Seb. I owe you one.” Miro stated gracefully, already standing up.

“I will let you buy me a beer the next time Borussia plays Bayern and beats them in Munich.” The grin was evident in the other man’s voice. Miro shook his head.  
 “You will be waiting a long time then, my friend. You will never win here. Do you have an address or know where the students were staying?”

He heard Sebastian’s laugh on the other side of the phone before it faded. “I don’t, I’m sorry, Miro. I will have someone ask around again and send you the details if I learn anything further.”

“Thank you anyway. See you later, Seb.”

They exchanged goodbyes before Miro turned to look at Thomas who was still leaning against the doorframe. Miro shifted slightly under the younger man’s gaze. It was unsettling in some way to be stared at so intently. Besides, he usually did the staring while Thomas did the talking. _God he could talk the patience out of the Pope at times._

“Learn anything interesting?” Thomas asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Go get the nicest picture of Großkreutz we have. We’re going to do some walking until we find his friends.” Thomas nodded once and pushed off the doorframe as he went to his desk.

Miro ran a hand over his face. Perhaps walking all day would lessen the tension in his neck and his back. He looked at the clock. Perhaps he would have some good news for the parents of Kevin Großkreutz before they arrived in Munich. 

He could hope anyway. But knowing the scandal that had followed Kevin’s mother, Miro somehow doubted it would be that easy to have an easy open-shut case and keep any scandals to the minimum.

_Just once, why can’t someone feel guilty about killing a person and turn themselves in?_ Miro wondered to himself as he started out of his office and to stand next to Thomas’ desk as the other man looked for a decent photo.


	3. Chapter Three: A Mother's Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See the end note! And I hope you like our continuing journey here ;)
> 
>  

The rain hadn’t let up much, so it was no surprise that after spending more than an hour ‘pounding the pavement’, both Thomas and Miroslav were very damp. Walking into the seventh hotel they had on their list, Miro cursed the idea of walking, regardless if his back was actually feeling a little better. Instead of his back, his feet were now hurting and his shoes would not stop squeaking. It was annoying, even more so than Thomas’ chatter. Speaking of which, Thomas seemed to be of the same opinion, if the look on his face was any indication.

Miro had noticed that, like himself, Thomas’ suit was sticking to his frame as well. It appeared that the younger man did in fact have some muscle underneath his clothes and wasn’t just a lanky, gangly young man.

Miroslav noticed the look on the receptionists’ faces and felt his agitation stirring. That wasn’t the first time they’d received that look since they had started this venture. That fact probably made his temper flare a little more than it would have otherwise. Nevertheless, Miro was still polite as he always was. He’d been conditioned from an early age to show respect to everyone and to keep his temper in check. It took a lot to get him angry.

“Good day. We’re looking for a group of young men that were with this gentleman,” Miro supplied the photograph that Thomas had of Kevin to show the receptionist. “We were wondering if they had been through here in the past day or so?”

The pristinely dressed blonde receptionist looked him over in his dripping suit. If looks could kill, Miro thought. “We aren’t allowed to give out guests’ information, sir.”

She didn’t even bother to glance at the photograph.

Thomas leaned against the counter and flashed her a smile. It didn’t seem to do much. At first.

“How about now?” Thomas asked, showing his badge, which was clipped to his belt buckle, smile still in place. Miro rolled his eyes and didn’t bother to hide it. With their clothes still wet from having walked so much in the rain, Thomas’ trousers were clinging to his body a little too well. The positioning of the badge on his belt meant she—and he, because Miro had looked too—had to look at Thomas’ crotch. Thomas’ smile had morphed into a grin when he noticed that seemed to have rattled the lady behind the desk a bit. 

The woman snatched the photograph from the counter where Miro had left it and stared at it; Miro noticed her cheeks a little redder than when they’d come in a moment ago. Miro shook his head as he glanced over at Thomas and saw the cheeky grin still there. Thomas met Miro’s eyes and winked. Miro shook his head but a smile played at the corner of his lips before he cleared his expression again.

“Do you recognize him?” Miro asked, his temper abated for now.

The woman nodded. “Yes. He checked in with some friends the day before yesterday.”

“How are you so sure it was them? I’m sure you have a lot of guests…” Thomas asked, cheeky grin still in place.

The receptionist huffed a sigh, her blush fading. “They were noisy, loud. They almost knocked over one of our statues! Security had to threaten them with being kicked out before they went upstairs.”

Thomas raised his eyebrow and shared a look with Miroslav.

“Sorry to hear that. Do you happen to have a room number where we can find them? We’ll make sure we mention how to behave in public for you trouble?” Miro asked, happy that their trek through the weather had actually yielded some results.

The woman nodded and provided the information they needed before the pair of detectives went over to the lifts. Miro slipped the photograph into his pocket and looked at Thomas after the younger man hit the button for the elevator.

“Do you always flirt with receptionists?”

Thomas grinned but didn’t look over. “Only the ones that need to loosen up.”

“So that’s a ‘yes’ then.” Miro returned as they entered the lift once it arrived.

Thomas merely laughed.

\---

By the time Thomas and Miro returned to the office with their _guests_ , Jürgen already had the Großkreutz in his office. Miro recognized the closed door and the uncomfortable look on his boss’ face. It wasn’t a hard deduction when he noticed that Jürgen also had two occupants with him.

“To the interrogation room, sir?” One of the junior officers, Podolski, Miro thought, asked. Miro nodded.

“Keep them separated as well.” Miro instructed and watched Podolski and Thomas steer the misfit trio towards the private rooms.

Miro let out a long breath and went to his office. He saw a note from Torsten asking that he call and Miro decided he could wait until after he’d spoken to Kevin’s friends and his parents. He retrieved something from his coat cupboard and went to the lavatory. Once inside, he checked himself over in the mirror and then he sighed, heavily. He looked little better than a soaked rat. Fortunately he had a change of clothes that he kept in his office for various reasons and he undid the dry cleaner’s packaging to change.

Once that task had been completed, Miro reentered the main office and saw that Jürgen was finishing with Kevin’s parents. Thomas walked back from the interrogation rooms and stopped short once he’d seen Miroslav. He huffed as he stood next to him.

“You should have told me. I’ll bring a suit to change into next time.”

Miro looked at his partner out of the corner of his eye. “A piece of advice for you: always be prepared, regardless of the situation.”

“And how many things are you prepared for?” Thomas asked with a raised eyebrow.

Miro regarded him with a cool look. _Now wasn’t the time for petulance._ “Many.”

While he had been looking over the boy, Miro couldn’t help but notice the way the boy’s hair was starting to fluff out, finally starting to dry out from their little jaunt in the rain. His suit was still damp though; Thomas had to be uncomfortable. Miro made a mental note to send him home early, but once they had talked to the parents and wrapped up their other loose ends.

At Jürgen’s beckoning, Miro advanced with Thomas slightly behind. His expression had cleared form the annoyance to sympathy and he greeted Kevin’s parents as politely as possible.

“Mr. and Mrs. Großkreutz, you have my sincerest sympathies for your loss.”

Pia nodded and Miro could see why she had been so famous in her younger years, and why the scandal surrounding her marriage to Martin Großkreutz had caused such a wave in Berlin when it had happened. While her beauty may have faded slightly, she still had some of the same spark that had brought her to attention in the gossip and society columns all those years ago. Even now, when she looked heartbroken, Miro could still see it. He refocused on the case in hand.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but may I ask you a few questions about Kevin?” He asked gently.

Both Martin and Pia nodded affirmative and Miro gave a brief nod of thanks. “Thank you. Can you think of anyone who may have wanted to hurt Kevin at all?”

Pia’s face crumpled as the tears began afresh while Martin shook his head. “No one. It was supposed to be a few days’ respite from his studies in Dortmund. He’d come with some friends…”

Martin paused a moment there and Miro watched him, studying his expressions. Martin seemed to get lost in a train of thought somewhere. _He doesn’t seem overly upset that his son is now dead._ Pia spoke then, interrupting his study and he looked over at her quickly, noting her reactions as well. _Now she looks far more devastated._

“Are they—were they hurt?” She asked, eyes wide as if something had occurred to her. _A mother’s concern._ “Was it just Kevin, or were the rest hurt at all?”

Miro swallowed, trying to find the words that would relay to her what she wanted to know. _How do you tell someone that their son was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and was the ‘lucky one’ who had been chosen to be murdered instead of his friends?_ Miro was about to reply but Thomas did so first, offering a fresh handkerchief that he had pulled from God-only-knew-where as he spoke. Miro’s expression cooled slightly for the interference, but the Großkreutz and Jürgen didn’t seem to notice.

“They are doing about as well as can be expected given the circumstances, ma’am. I’m so sorry about your son.” Thomas replied, releasing his grasp of the handkerchief as she took it from him.

“Thank you,” she started, dabbing her cheeks, “inspector…?”

Thomas shook his head. “Komissaranwärter Müller, ma’am. Thomas Müller.”

“Thank you, Mister Müller.” She replied again, softly. She kept his handkerchief; Thomas didn’t seem to mind.  
 Miro looked back to Martin. “Did your son know anyone in Munich?”

Martin shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of. Perhaps you could ask his friends that came with him? Surely they would know. I’m afraid we hadn’t seen Kevin in quite some time.”

Miroslav nodded. “Yes, of course.”

 _Curious expression he’s got there. As if he was upset about Kevin’s choices in friends._ Miro was about to ask about it, when Martin spoke again.

“You have found them, I presume?” Martin asked. Miro didn’t quite care for the man’s tone. _This is why I hate bankers._ Miroslav nodded once.

“Yes, sir. We are waiting to speak to them. If I may ask, sir, when was the last time you had seen your son?”

Pia sniffled hard and answered the question. “We hadn’t seen him in weeks.” She started to cry again.

Martin took up the slack she had left behind. “He was studying for his finals. He was just completing his last year at university.”

“Oh? What was he studying?” Thomas asked, tone light but still concerned. If he was acting, he was doing a damn good job of it.

“Business, of course.” Martin replied disdainfully, regarding Thomas as if he were a bug that he now had to scrape off of his shoe.

Martin sighed and pried the handkerchief away from Pia’s hands before handing back to Thomas with a look of annoyance that Miro found particularly interesting. “Just find out who did this to my son. And sooner, rather than later, won’t you?” Martin looked at Miroslav before looking at Jürgen again. “Come, Pia.”

The three policemen watched as Martin steered his wife by her elbow out of their offices. Shaking his head, Miro looked at Thomas who was putting the handkerchief on his desk. Miro looked back to Jürgen; his boss looked tired. More so than usual.

“Just find me something, Miroslav.” Jürgen stated before going back to his office. “Anything.”

Miro didn’t even have the chance to reply before Thomas returned by his side. Miro sighed.

“Müller, go home and change your clothes. I don’t want you getting pneumonia. Then return here straightaway.” He said, looking at his partner.

Thomas hesitated, watching him for a moment, before speaking quietly. “Yes sir.”  
  _At least he wasn’t going to argue this time._ Miro waited until he heard Thomas’ footsteps leading away from him before he walked over to another Hauptkommissar's office. The small man that called it home along with his partner was hunched over a folder, reading it intently. Miro smiled a little and knocked on the door.

When he looked up, he smiled.

“Miroslav,” he greeted and leaned back in his chair. His partner turned at the greeting, only he didn’t smile.

Miro looked at his partner and smiled a little. “I was wondering if you, Michael, and you, Philipp, would do me the honor of helping me with my current case?”

They both raised their eyebrows.

“Don’t you have a partner for that now?” Michael asked. “Or have you run him off too?”

Miro watched Philipp. It was Lahm that he wanted to help him, but he knew Ballack wouldn’t leave it alone if he wasn’t invited too. Besides, Michael’s technique may come in handy on some of the more stubborn companions of Kevin’s.

“He’s indisposed at the moment on other business for our investigation.” Miro replied cordially.

“I don’t see why we can’t assist you. What do you need, Miro?” Philipp asked, standing up from the desk with a polite, friendly smile.

Miro smiled. It was good to have friends in the department still, even if one of them was partners with a giant ass. Miro moved closer into the office and folded his hands behind his back.

“You see, my partner and I are on a new case. And since he is currently unavailable, I need your help interrogating a few suspects…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to a very kind soul who helped me out! :D
> 
>  
> 
> ~~As for the police rankings, I do sincerely apologize if they are wrong. I tried researching into it, but alas, there wasn't much progress I could make and my German isn't great enough for me to read in German and find out that way. :\ Forgive me if I made a mistake. Brownie points if you actually know and can help me correct it if they are wrong!~~


	4. Chapter Four: Questioning A Suspect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter has implications of homophobia/bigotry, so please be advised of this. Also, this chapter is short (I'm sorry, but I couldn't think of anything to make it longer that wouldn't fit better in the next one). I hope you guys still like this story and thank you so, so much to everyone who comments on it <333 And without delay, here we go. :D

At least it wasn’t like the films, Miroslav thought. There was no squeaky chair or a bright flashing bulb that cast light into the shadows while some unknown liquid dripped onto the concrete floor. No, this wasn’t the movies at all. This was a real police interrogation room.

The fluorescent bulbs were safely placed high in the ceiling, illuminating the room with their low humming buzz that kept everything brightly lit. The table was bolted to the floor, but it was empty of everything apart from a small plastic cup with water in it that the guest in question had requested, but hadn’t sipped from. Condensation was growing on the outside of the plastic.

“When was the last time you saw Kevin?” Michael asked the suspect. Miro was watching from the other side of the one-sided glass with Philipp in the viewing room also.

“Do you think he’ll fuck it up?” Lahm asked quietly. Miro thought about it for a moment before he sighed.

“I hope not.” Miro replied simply, seeing Lahm nod in the slight reflection they both had on their side of the glass.

“Look, man, I don’t know what Kevin did, but I didn’t have anything to do with it.” The boy, cause that’s all he really was, despite the fact that he claimed to have twenty-one years on him. His blond hair was styled in a way that Miro had never seen before, _thank God_ , and he shook his head. He was dressed like a punk, and that’s exactly how Ballack was treating him.

“If you don’t know what he did, then how do you know you weren’t a part of it?” Michael asked with a raised eyebrow before he sighed. “Just answer the question.”

The boy sighed. “I don’t know. We were at the club. Kev said he had to take a call and that was the last I saw him. I got lucky if you know what I mean.” He popped his tongue in his mouth to be obnoxious, giving Michael the once over. “Actually, you probably don’t.”

“What was the time?” Michael asked.

“Don’t know, I already said that!” The kid started to tense up. “Probably around midnight. I don’t remember. I was a little fucked up, old man. And, like I said, I got lucky.”

“What was her name?” Michael asked, making a slight note on the pad of paper he had.

The boy just grinned. “Who said it was a ‘she’?”

Michael rolled his eyes and stood up, the tension in his body showing clearly. “Have it your way, be unhelpful and hinder a police inquiry. I’m sure a nice night in jail would help you loosen up.”

“Probably, but then again, I’m into that.” He replied cheekily, making Michael get even more worked up.

 

Miro sighed and looked at Philipp. “You better get him out of there before he gets the department into more hot water and Jürgen has to suspend him. Again.” Miro added the last word as an afterthought.

Lahm nodded and moved to the door to get his partner out. Michael was a loose-canon sometimes. That’s why they were partners in the first place. Jürgen had thought an extremely cool headed person, such as Philipp, could calm the wayward temper that belonged to Michael. Some experiment that had been. The two couldn’t stand one another and there was little love lost between them.

“Michael? A word, please.” Philipp stood in the doorway and waited until Michael was out of the room before Miro turned to look at the both of them.

“I’m thinking that that _freak_ ,” Miro knew Michael desperately wanted to say another word, a slur, but was relieved when he didn’t, “tried getting it on with the victim and then when your stiff said no, blondie there took it personally.”

“And the evidence you have to support this theory includes…?” Philipp asked with a raised eyebrow, his arms crossed over his chest. He was also tired of Michael’s bigotry.

Michael shrugged. “That’s for Miroslav to find out. I’m just telling you what I think.”

“Well thank you for your input, Michael.” Miroslav said politely, despite Miro’s agitation at the rudeness he’d shown. “I think I will finish the interviews.”

“I’ll still help with the last one.” Philipp amended quietly and Miro nodded. Michael seemed to pick up on the hint and he huffed.

“Whatever. Think what you like. I’m telling you something isn’t right with that one. And it’s not cause he’s queer either!” Michael then took his leave, banging out of the interrogation room and Philipp and Miro couldn’t bring themselves to be sorry at the sight of his departure.

Miro let out a long breath before nodding to Philipp.

“I’ll talk to,” Miro looked at the paper in his hand, “Mister Reus again. You can speak to Hummels?”

Philipp nodded and then started to go to the other room down the hallway. Miro let out another long breath and then walked into the interrogation room.

“Hello, Mister Reus.” Miro greeted politely and calmly walked over to the table and sat down.

The blond just watched him with an unimpressed look. “Can I go? I told the other guy everything.”

Miro shook his head. “My apologies. I do have a few other questions for you.” He heard the blond heave a great sigh before he slouched in the chair. Miro could tell he was itching to reach for the phone that was in his pocket. He’d been on it earlier, before Michael had come in to talk to him. “Can you please tell me when you last saw Kevin?”

“What the fuck is everyone so wrapped up about with Kevin for? What’d he do? Steal something?” Marco scoffed and looked a little annoyed.

Miro watched him for another moment. “I’m afraid your friend Kevin was found murdered last night.”

Marco blinked and then stared solidly at Miro. He shook his head after a moment.

“Very funny.” His tone had taken leave of the cocky attitude from before.

“I’m not joking, Mr. Reus.” Miro spoke, kind tone in place.

“Call me Marco, please.” Marco whispered, eyes lowering to the table before looking up at Miroslav. “How? How did it happen?”

Miro shook his head. “We’re still investigating. You see why it’s imperative that we have all the information about his movements last night?” He waited until he saw a confirmation nod before continuing. “What happened last night?”

\---

Thomas returned to the office approximately an hour after he had left it. He liked driving the BMW; Miro never let him unless it was an absolute dire emergency. It was a nice car and he ached to drive it more often. Oh well, guess he would have to earn that privilege, he thought and stopped off at his desk to put the folded up change of clothes he’d brought with him. He had learned his mistake once already; he really was going to try and act more like Miroslav.

He stood up and looked to Miro’s office, fully expecting his boss to be there working away on their case. Thomas frowned when he didn’t see him there. He left his desk and looked in the break room; it was empty save another inspector, Ballack. Thomas didn’t like him, but didn’t get the chance to avoid him because Michael was on his way out as Thomas had peeked in.

“There you are. What great quest did Klose send you on?”

Thomas frowned. “What do you mean?”

“It must have been important, since you were out while we did the questioning.”

Thomas paused. They’d questioned the suspects already? He had been looking forward to that. He wanted to see how Miro worked when questioning suspects.

The questions must have shown on his face because Michael started to smirk.

“Guess he didn’t trust you yet. Neither would I. You’re so young and you have no experience.” Michael brushed by him and started back to his own office that he shared with Philipp.

Jaw twitching, Thomas moved back to his own desk outside in the main office and sat down. Did Miroslav not trust him? It was obvious he wasn’t overly fond of him and that Thomas’ personality probably rubbed him the wrong way. But did that really come down to a lack of trust? Thomas paused and sighed. He guessed he would have to have a talk with his boss, a proper one. But that could wait.

Right now, he needed something to make Miroslav proud of him.

He opened the case folder and began to look for additional clues when a thought struck him. Carefully sliding Pia’s used handkerchief into an empty evidence bag, he sealed it and started down to the laboratory.


	5. Chapter Five: Thomas's Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I took a night off from writing. Sleep is a wonderful thing, you know? lol I hope you're liking the fic still (and thank you to all you people that reviewed :333) Hope you like this part as well! I can't wait for the next chapter, personally lol Enjoy!

By the time Miro and Philipp had finished interrogating the three friends of Kevin and were escorting them out, Thomas had returned from the lab. He was waiting on results from their leading examiner, Holger. He was seated at his desk, fingers steepled together and watched as the three boys that they had brought in earlier left through the front door. His lips were pursed and he watched as Miro returned into the office.

He was going to have a chat with his boss and get to the bottom of this. 

Miro nodded to him and then proceeded into his office. Thomas debated for a moment if he should wait until the office was quieter and everyone had gone home, or perhaps should he wait till they were actually on the way home? No, he didn’t want to risk getting Miroslav mad and having the older man crash into something because he was trying to kill him.

Thomas sighed. Now was a good as time as any. If Miro did decide to kill him, at least there would be witnesses here. Thomas pushed back from the desk and watched as his boss sat down from outside of the office. He took a deep breath and went on into the office, knocking politely as he did so. Just like every other time he’d gone into the office.

“Yes?” Miro asked, not even bothering to glance over at him.

“May I have a word with you? In private?” Thomas asked.

Miro set the folder of their case down and looked over with raised eyebrows. He nodded and Thomas walked into the office, shutting the door behind him. He swallowed hard, rubbing his hands on the thighs of his freshly changed trousers. If Miro noticed his nervousness, he didn’t say anything. Then again, his boss really wasn’t super talkative to begin with. Thomas moved over to sit in the empty chair near Miroslav’s desk.

“Um, did you learn anything interesting?” Thomas asked as a start, delaying the conversation he really wanted to have as much as possible.

Miro nodded and leaned back in his chair, it squeaked as he did so.

“Kevin was last seen by his friends around a quarter to twelve, where he went out to take a phone call. They think, at any rate. They were a bit preoccupied looking for some companionship for the evening.” Miroslav let it fade off, before he shrugged and looked at Thomas. He felt a little uneasy underneath Miro’s intense focus. “But that isn’t why you came in here, so please…?”

The invitation was there, all he had to do was reach out and take it. Thomas took a deep breath and looked at Miroslav, just not in the eyes because then he would’ve gotten all tongue-tied.

“Why didn’t you wait for me to come back before you spoke to the suspects?” Thomas chewed his lip and watched Miro, glancing to his eyes, but not keeping the eye contact.

He felt Miro’s eyes on him and as the silence stretched out, he grew even more uncomfortable and embarrassed about asking such a question. But still, he had to know.

“We shouldn’t have to wait for you to return to question suspects. You weren’t here, so I proceeded without you.” Miro replied as if it was the easiest thing in the world. Really, Thomas surmised, it was. He had had to go home to change clothes, why should Miro have waited for him?

“I wouldn’t have gone home if you hadn’t told me to. I could’ve waited.” Thomas replied. He didn’t mean to sound as if he were whining, really he didn’t. It’s just that he wanted to make a good impression for Miroslav. He wanted to impress the Hauptkommissar.

“That’s part of it.” Miro returned in his usual soft-toned way. “You could have gotten sick if you’d stayed in those clothes. Also, we are professionals. How would it look to you, if you were a suspect, if one of the officers coming to question you looked as if they had just gone swimming in their suit?”

Thomas nodded. As he suspected, it made sense. There was still something bothering him though.

“And that’s all the reason? For appearances sake?” Thomas glanced at Miro’s eyes again, only this time he was caught in their trap.

“What else would it have been?” Miro asked with a raised eyebrow. Thomas let out a heavy breath and his eyes looked away from Miro. He caught sight of the large empty desk that was in the center of the room. The desk that Miro refused to sit at and he wasn’t allowed to touch, never mind sit at.

“It’s just that…I realize I wasn’t your first choice of partner,” _understatement,_ “and I probably upset or disappoint you a lot. But… well. I sit outside when other detective’s partners share the same office. You don’t let me speak to witnesses or suspects much. I’m not allowed to do much other than answer calls for you, do some of the paperwork, fetch and bring coffee. So I was just wondering…is it _me_ that is the problem, or are all new constables treated this way?”

He had said it. He really hoped he hadn’t just axed any chance he had of advancement in this career path. Thomas didn’t want to do anything other than this job and he really hoped he hadn’t just made himself look like a fool. Well, more so than usual.

“I suspect there are some other Komissaranwärter’s that are allowed more hands-on abilities but you have only been my partner for,” Miro paused to look at the calendar. “Two weeks now? I’m afraid I just don’t know how you would react in front of a suspect for me to allow you that privilege on your own yet.”

That was a fair response; not that Thomas expected any differently from the man who literally had awards from the department on his professionalism. If he had learned anything about Miro in those two weeks, and boy had he learned a lot, it was that Miroslav was fair.

“I suppose that the next time we have to do an interview, you can assist me. But only as my second, not by yourself.” Miro said after a moment and Thomas’ eyes sparkled as he looked into the other man’s eyes.

“Really?”

“Unless you prefer me to change my mind?”

Thomas shook his head quickly. “No, no. Thank you, sir!” He couldn’t quite manage to keep the enthusiasm from his voice. Not that he was particularly concerned about that right now. Miro was trusting him with something.

But Miro hadn’t addressed all of his concerns. Perhaps he was stupid enough to push it, or desperate to feel like he belonged maybe, but he asked anyway.

“And sitting outside?” This time his voice was smile, not brazen at all. He may as well have squeaked out the question for as loud as he’d whispered it. Somehow, maybe Miro also had super-intense hearing as well, the other man had heard the question.

They both paused and Thomas glanced over to the empty desk that took up the room. He couldn’t blame Miro for not using it; if the situation was different and it was him, he wasn’t one-hundred percent sure he would be using it either. Not after what happened to Miro’s first partner.

“I suppose,” Miro said after a moment, “that maybe one day. For now, I’d prefer if we kept our seating arrangement the same.”

Thomas nodded quickly, agreeing even though he really didn’t. He just wanted the embarrassment of the moment to be over with as soon as possible. Miro nodded once and that was it then. For now, Thomas was sure they would come back to that particular point of discussion somewhere in the future. But for now, he could wait.

“Thomas, I do want you to know that I trust you.” Miro added, almost as quietly as Thomas had asked his question.

_Just not as much as you trusted_ him _, right?_ Thomas wanted to ask but he didn’t. He wasn’t a callous asshole.

Thomas nodded, again agreeing to avoid the awkwardness of the situation. He really did understand where Miro was coming from, but at the same time, he wished they didn’t have to hide behind the closed doors of painful, embarrassing emotions all the time either.

“Holger called a moment ago,” Miro was saying now, “saying that he had received something from you and he wanted my approval to send the results directly to you when it was completed. What did you take him?”

_Oh, yeah, that._ Thomas cleared his throat and shifted a little in the seat.

“Well, I took him the handkerchief that Frau Großkreutz used. I don’t know, we might be able to find something interesting on it.” Thomas shrugged awkwardly and waited to be censured for his action.

“What were you hoping to find?” Miro asked, calmly. His tone was even, non-judgemental almost. It was as if he were truly curious to see why Thomas had done something, not telling him that his decision had been stupid and unnecessary. Thomas replied as honestly as he could.

“Well, something struck me as odd about the Großkreutz’. Kevin doesn’t look like his mother too much, but a little, and as I was watching them, I realized Kevin doesn’t look like Martin Großkreutz at all. So I was just wondering if he really was Kevin’s dad or not. And if he wasn’t, then maybe that might be something worth looking into?”

Thomas waited for Miroslav to say something, _anything_ , that wasn’t a reprimand. Maybe he had acted out of the scope of his job. Maybe his curiosity really had gotten the better of him. After all, it could be a simple explanation of the fact that Kevin may have been adopted. Or maybe he resembled someone else on Martin’s side of the family the way genes skipped generations occasionally. Maybe there was a perfectly reasonable conclusion and he had overstepped his mark.

“You had an instinct that this would help our case?” Miro asked with a raised eyebrow. Thomas nodded and chewed his lip. “Very well. I already told him he may send you the result as soon as he has them.”

Thomas smiled and was about to thank Miro for his confidence in him when Philipp came and knocked on the door. Miro looked up and nodded to him to open it. The look on Lahm’s face was grim and Thomas frowned a little.

“There’s been another body discovered near the alley next to the _Schadenfreude_.”

All three men paused and looked at one another.

“We’ll be right there,” Miro replied and stood up.

The questions began to dance in Thomas’ mind as he too also got ready to go. Another body? Was it related to their homicide? Was it the same killer? Why were people getting murdered outside the club that should be a warning against even going there? Most importantly: _who had been murdered now?_


	6. Chapter Six: Victim Number Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Here you are, and I hope you enjoy ;) And thank you again to everyone who reads and comments on this story. I really am grateful, you have no idea. <3

The same shitty dance music was still playing when they arrived. This time, more people were gathered around the alley and it appeared as if several journalists were there as well. Miro, Philipp, and Thomas ignored them as they crossed under the line where Podolski— _Lukas, as Thomas had greeted him_ —was keeping the others from crossing.

 

The three advanced to where Torsten was kneeling over their newest body and Miro frowned immediately. Long blonde hair, slender figure and smaller than a male would’ve been. This time it was a female. When he heard Thomas inhale sharply, he looked over with a raised eyebrow.

 

“What is it?”

 

“That’s Sarah Brandner; the waitress who saw the hoodie leaving the scene from the first time.” Thomas replied, voice lacking any sort of tone at all.

 

Miro recognized the girl once Thomas said that. After all, he hadn’t questioned her properly. Thomas had done that. _Why was the waitress dead now? Did she recognize the killer?_ Miro and Philipp were looking over the crime scene as Torsten was relaying important information. Thomas watched the three of them work, too numb to be of much assistance.

 

Miro nodded to Phillip to continue looking for clues and he straightened from where he’d been looking at the wounds that Torsten had showed him. He moved to stand next to Thomas and rested a hand on the man’s shoulder.

 

“You couldn’t have done anything.” Miro spoke softly. “This isn’t your fault.”

 

“Is it the same guy?” Thomas asked, eyes blazing with vengeance as he stared at Miroslav.

 

“It’s too early to tell, but it’s possible.” Miro replied honestly, keeping eye contact. “We’ll have to wait for those results. Now, go help Philipp look for something that could be useful, okay?”

 

Thomas nodded slowly and slowly took a deep breath before going to help the other detective. Miro watched the both of them for a moment and would’ve gone back to asking Torsten more questions, but at that moment someone was busy causing a disruption by where Lukas was standing keeping the crowd back. Miro frowned as he looked over and saw that Lukas and another constable were holding back a gentleman, trying to get through.

 

He started over, holding up his hand when Thomas tried to follow him. He moved over to the police line and nodded once at Lukas and looked at the man.

 

“How may I help you, sir?” Miroslav asked, watching the man for his reactions.

 

“I’m looking for my girlfriend. She wasn’t at work. Is she—Can I—oh, please, tell me she’s okay?” He looked so imploringly at Miroslav that Miro felt a surge of sympathy for the man. _Why does he assume it’s_ **his** _girlfriend down here? What does he know?_

 

“What’s your girlfriend’s name, son?” He asked, already fearing the answer.

 

“Sarah. Sarah Brandner.” He replied and rushed quickly through his next sentence. “My name is Bastian. Is she okay?”

 

Miroslav nodded to Lukas to let the man go, which he did after a moment and Miroslav let out a long breath. He considered just a moment of how much to tell the man. It took him only a moment before he decided against revealing too much so soon. There were other people that needed to be notified first. Such as the girl’s parents, for a start.

 

“Bastian, we’re going to want to ask you some questions. May I please get you to go with Mr. Podolski here?” Miro asked as nicely as he could. He noticed that Bastian was getting ready to protest. “I know that you have questions and we will be happy to answer them as soon as we can. At the office. If you please?”

 

Miro watched as the man paused before nodding. “All right. I’ll go, I just expect answers for answers.”

 

“And you’ll have them. I promise you,” Miro replied and gave him a reassuring look. “Thank you for your cooperation, sir.”

 

Bastian nodded and slowly went with Lukas to the police car. Miro watched them both get inside before he turned to go back to the alley.

 

\---

 

After finding very little in the alley, Miro and Thomas decided to return to the office. Philipp had decided to stay behind and question a few of the witnesses. They had offered to stay also, but he had waved them off, citing an excuse to stay away from Ballack as much as possible.

 

In the car, Thomas looked at Miroslav and asked a question in an effort to distract himself from what happened and his undue guilt.

 

“Why does Philipp and Michael dislike one another?”

 

Miro smiled a little when he thought back to the reason. Thomas raised an eyebrow.

 

“It was a Christmas party that started it. They were both still in the academy, and I was a junior officer.” Miro started slightly, driving effortlessly through the streets of Munich back towards their building. “Michael thought he was going to be partnered with the best detective in our division at the time, Jogi. Instead, that pleasure went to Philipp. It was announced at the Christmas party.”

 

Thomas listened quietly and waited to see if there was more.

 

“They exchanged unpleasant words; well, Michael more or less did and Philipp was just trying to ignore him, I believe. Either way, they’ve disliked one another ever since. And when Joachim left our division for Berlin, they were partnered with one another because Michael’s partner retired around the same time also.”

 

Miroslav finished, words trailing away into the ether as if he hadn’t spoken at all. It was funny how he could do that, Thomas thought. He was such a quiet, humble man that it was amazing at how he could be so wonderful at this job. This ugly, horrible job that saw the true evil of people and see all the deeds that another person could do to another human being. All the foul, deceitful, awful things and yet Miro was still seemingly unchanged by it all. It was remarkable. Thomas admired him for that, and about a hundred other things as well.

 

“I don’t suppose they hate each other.” Miro spoke again, so quietly that Thomas wondered if Miro thought he was talking just to himself. “I think Michael just hates Philipp and Fips is waiting until the day he can get a new partner, or Michael gets that transfer he’s wanted for years.”

 

“Do you wish I was transferred?” Thomas asked himself. Only he hadn’t, he had spoken aloud. That was a little detail he noticed when Miroslav looked over at him once they’d stopped at a light.

 

“No, of course not.” Miro watched him, concern on his face. _Why would you ask that?_ remained unsaid. _I thought we talked about this_ , also remained silent.

 

Thomas shrugged. “Just thinking out loud, I suppose.”

 

“Well there’s no need to think that, Thomas.” Miro replied, unconsciously softening his tone on the use of Thomas’ name. Where he hadn’t noticed, Thomas certainly had. The thought made him smile inwardly. “As I said earlier, you’re young, but you are still capable of doing your duties in this job. That is all I ask for. Well, that and the willingness to learn, which you have shown that you want to do.”

 

“Of course I do! You’re the best!” Thomas replied, a little too eagerly. _Since you’re at it, why don’t you just admit he was your hero in the academy as well?_ He cleared his throat a little and added in a more subdued tone, “I mean your statistics aren’t bad.”

 

Miro smiled a little at his enthusiasm and turned onto the final street on which their building was located. It was a stern reminder where they were going and what they were going for. Miro also remembered his promise earlier and he was debating it.

 

“Thomas?” Miro asked, pulling into the parking garage.

 

“Yes, Sir?”

 

“I remember what I promised you earlier, about interviewing the next suspect…” Miro hesitated and was trying to find a way to phrase it gently, to avoid hurting his partner’s feelings.

 

“You want me to watch in the observation room, or go see if Torsten knows anything new?” Thomas asked. Miro was impressed. If there was annoyance or frustration at being overlooked for this particular conversation with a suspect, it didn’t reflect in Thomas’ tone at all.

 

“I will leave that decision to you.” Miro replied, parking the car.

 

Thomas opened the door and started to get out after Miroslav killed the engine. Miro extended his arm and rested his hand on Thomas’ arm. Despite the layers of fabric, Miro could still feel the very capable muscles there. It was nice.

 

“And Thomas?” Miro started, causing Thomas to look over in his direction. Thomas glanced first at where Miro’s hand was resting on his arm, then he dragged his blue-eyed gaze to meet Miro’s own. Miro waited until he had his full attention before continuing. “Thank you. I promise you the next time you will be in the room also.”

 

Thomas nodded slowly. “Of course, Sir.”

 

Miro retracted his hand, nodding, and climbed out of the vehicle also. He readjusted his tie while walking towards the elevator, mind already focused on speaking to Bastian. Thomas hit the call button and they waited, looking at one another.

 

“Once we confirm an address, we’ll be off to investigate the victim’s apartment.” Miro said. He spoke only to fill the silence that was between them. His voice carried over the empty concrete space and beyond, echoing in the almost-empty car park.

 

“So much for sleeping at home tonight, hmm?” Thomas replied with a slight smile. Miro nodded, though his expression revealed more of his exhaustion than he would’ve liked.

 

_So much for breakfast with Luan and Noah._

 

The disappointment on his face was something Thomas didn’t understand, but nor did he speak to question it as they entered the elevator and Thomas hit the button for their floor.


	7. Chapter Seven: The Case Breaks Open

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so two chapters in one day. It happened. This is a long chapter because a lot of stuff happens in it. I hope you like it! :D

_“Shh, be quiet. Daddy’s sleeping. Let’s not wake him.”_

The words barely registered through his over-exhausted mind. Still, as faint and distant as they had been, they did register. Miroslav groaned as he turned in bed. That’s when he almost slipped off his resting place.

 _Shit._ He hadn’t gone to bed like he planned. Running a hand over his face, he opened his eyes and felt them sting from the sunlight coming in through the sheer curtains he had in the living room. He’d fallen asleep on the sofa. Sitting up with a groan, he heard a giggle come from the direction of the kitchen.

Looking around, paperwork was still strewn on the coffee table where he’d been reading it after he’d arrived home the night before. The half-empty cup of coffee sitting on top of a folder would undoubtedly be cold and stale by now, not that he was thinking of drinking it anyway.

“He’s not asleep now.” The sing-song tone came from behind him. He heard another giggle. He turned his head and saw Luan leaning against the doorframe while Noah was half in the hallway behind his brother. That’s when Miro saw the speaker who had woken him. Surprise lit his features a little, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

“Sylwia.” He replied, sleep made his voice gravelly. He moved to stand up and his body demanded he stretch, so he did. When he looked back at her, she was smiling a little at him. “Always nice to see you.”

“You too,” she replied. “Though, I think you could’ve done without us waking you up.”

Miro waved off her apologetic look. “No matter. I didn’t mean to fall asleep here anyway. You should’ve let me know you were coming over, and I’d have tidied up a bit.”

 _Had she said she was bringing them over?_ He didn’t recall, but he wasn’t going to ask. He was always happy to see his boys.

Miroslav moved over and ruffled both of their hair at the same time. They both reacted almost the same way, with a scowl and an immediate urge to straighten their hair. He smiled fondly at both of them before looking at Sylwia.

“Papa! Let’s have lunch.” Luan asked once his hair had been straightened out. “You, me, Noah and mother. Please?”

His request was immediately echoed by Noah and Miro smiled slightly. He looked at Sylwia and she shrugged before nodding.

“Very well. But let me shower first.” He winked at both of the twins and then started for the stairs.

\---

He had only been gone for perhaps fifteen minutes, but by the time he came down the boys were playing with a football in the hallway under Sylwia’s watchful gaze. He came down in a fresh change of clothes and had squeezed in a quick shave as well. He greeted her properly this time with a kiss on the check and a squeeze of her arm. She smiled at him.

“Who’s ready for lunch?” He asked and both boys replied enthusiastically.

“Oh, someone called for you while you were gone.” Sylwia said, as she grabbed her purse and the boys ran out of the house. She handed him his phone; he’d almost forgotten it on the coffee table.

“Really?” He was already unlocking it and starting for his missed calls.  
 “Someone named Thomas. I didn’t answer it. I hope he’s nice.” She smiled, knowingly and Miro blinked.

“He isn’t—We are not—” He stumbled over his words awkwardly, making Sylwia smile more.

Sylwia held up a hand. “It’s your business, Miroslav. I just want you to be happy. I won’t pry.”

Miroslav cleared his throat. “Thomas is my partner. At work.” He added for extra clarification, just in case.

“Oh.” She sounded disappointed. “I thought you’d actually found someone.”

Miroslav shrugged and followed her out of the house. The boys were already in the car waiting.

“I’m too busy for that,” he replied, opening the driver door for her to get inside of her vehicle.

Sylwia remained disappointed as she looked in his eyes. “I know. That’s what saddens me, Miro.”

Miro frowned a little, but shut the door once she was inside and moved around to the passenger side. They didn’t speak more on it as they headed to the restaurant that the boys had decided on for lunch.

\---

Thomas read over the transcript that the stenographer had left for him of Miroslav’s interrogation, er, _questioning_ of Bastian Schweinsteiger. He had elected to see if Torsten had received anything new, which he hadn’t, and by the time he’d returned, Miroslav was ending the interview. The papers were laid flat on his desk as he braced his head on his fists to read the report.

Miro had asked the standard questions before getting to the heart of the matter.

‘How long have you known Miss Brandner?’ _Over ten years, since we were both eighteen._

‘Why were you looking for her tonight?’ _She’d told me to meet her after work at the café down the road. Sarah said she needed to talk to me about something important. She never arrived._

‘What made you think she would be at the _Schadenfreude_?’

That’s where it got interesting, Thomas had quickly realized.

 _She texted me and said she’d be there. That she followed_ him _there._

‘Followed whom?’ Miro had asked.

_I don’t know to be honest. She never told me. Maybe the guy from the other night, the one in the hoodie?_

“How did you know he was wearing a hoodie?” Thomas mumbled to himself, considering. Perhaps she’d told her boyfriend about the night of Kevin’s murder? That wasn’t that illogical. Thomas chewed his lip and continued looking over the document.

He really wanted to go take a look around Sarah’s apartment again. They hadn’t found anything too helpful on the initial search. Thomas did recall the large amount of framed photographs of her and this Bastian person on the walls. They had appeared happy at least.

“Catch your killer yet, or are you too busy sleeping at work?”

Thomas inwardly groaned. Ballack.

“Just reading Miro’s questioning from last night.” Thomas replied cheerfully, sitting up. He refused to show the other man just how much he was annoying him.

“Yes, reading it because of course you weren’t there.” Michael returned, walking towards his own office. He was tutt-ing as he walked past. It set Thomas’ teeth on edge.

Thomas shook his head and looked at the phone on his desk. He considered calling Miroslav again to see if they could take another crack at the case, but he resisted. He had already called once and Miroslav hadn’t answered. That was a bit unlike his superior, however, Miro had said he was going to try and get some sleep before coming back for the day. Thomas would hate to bother the man if he was in fact asleep. Besides, it wasn’t that important.

Decided that he wasn’t going to bother his boss until he had some good news to report for a change, Thomas went back to looking at the transcript and chewed his lip in thought. From what Miro had gleaned out of Bastian yesterday, it appeared that Sarah had recognized the person she saw leaving the alley near the _Schadenfreude_ and had followed them. Apparently, they had recognized her too, because they killed her. Thomas tapped his fingers on his desk.

Picking up one of the evidence bags on his desk, Thomas opened it following procedure and powered on Sarah’s phone. He leaned back in his desk and started flipping through the text messages she’d kept, particularly the ones she’d sent to Bastian in the past twenty-four hours.

‘OMG’ was followed by, ‘It was you’.

Thomas raised his eyebrow. That was the last one she had sent and the time for the message was sent about half an hour before she’d been murdered. Well that was incriminating and definitely worth another chat with mister Schweinsteiger.

Guilty or not, this was important. Thomas picked up the phone and dialed Miroslav’s number. He had to let his boss know about this.

\---

Miro and Sylwia were seated on a park bench as the boys played in the park opposite his house. He technically didn’t have the day off, but he had already informed Jürgen of what was going on. His boss had told him to take half the day, something that Miro was very grateful for.

“How is Monika?” he asked after a lapse in their earlier conversation about the boys and schoolwork.

“She’s fine. We’re fine.” Sylwia looked over and smiled at Miro.

It was an odd arrangement between them, but neither had complained. Their beautiful sons was more than enough reward to replace any awkward feelings between the two long-time friends. Miroslav looked back to their boys and smiled when he saw them playing football. They would grow up to be something one day, he thought. And it didn’t matter the origins of their conception or the reasoning behind it. They were there now and very much loved by their parents, all three of them.

“I really wish you wouldn’t work so much. So what if this Thomas person is only your partner at work. When was the last time you’d had a boyfriend, Miro?” Sylwia started and Miro inwardly groaned.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m busy, this case is very important to me.”

“All of them are, Miro. But you need to remember that you are important as well. You haven’t had a boyfriend since,” she tried to remember but Miro mumbled the reply before she could.

“Arne.” _God that had been forever ago. Have you really not gotten laid since then?_ He really hadn’t. _That’s embarrassing._

Sylwia shook her head. “I just want you to be happy, Miro. Happy, and not alone. You’re married to your job.”

“What’s wrong with that? I see you, my friend, and I see our children on a frequent basis. I have a career that I am pleased with and am successful at. I have a partner at work who I can live vicariously through, now. Why can’t I just be the quiet old man?” He asked, self-depreciating smile on his face at the last part.

Sylwia leaned over and kissed his cheek softly as her hand rested on his shoulder.

“You can, if that’s what you really want. If it’s what would truly make you the most happy, I will say no more about this subject ever again.” She looked into his eyes. “But I remember how happy you were with Arne back then. You lit up. You deserve that happiness again, Miroslav.”

Miro sighed and was about to argue again when his phone started to vibrate. Thinking it was the alarm he had set to remind him that he needed to get to work, he pulled it out to check it. He then frowned when he saw the name on the device.

“I’ll just take this, it might be important.” Miro gave her an apologetic look but Sylwia waved him off. He stood up and carried his phone a short way away from the bench and looked over at the park where Luan and Noah had started a small five-a-side game with some other boys. He lifted the phone to his ear, “Yes, Müller?”

A burst of energetic, excited rambling came across his ear, causing Miroslav to raise his eyebrows. He waited, a full three minutes, for Thomas to take a breath of air before he jumped in to interrupt.

“Wait, wait, wait. Sarah did what?” Miro asked, hoping that Thomas would take the hint and slow down. He didn’t. “Thomas slow down, start from the beginning.”

“I was rereading the transcript of your chat with Bastian last night,” Thomas said, his words still running together but it was at least discernible this time. “And then I was looking at Sarah’s phone and went to reread the last text messages she sent. Just for giggles, I guess, but anyway. The point is: Sarah’s last text messages to Bastian weren’t asking him to meet her by the _Schadenfreude_. The last messages were ‘OMG’ and ‘It was you’. Miro, boss, I think Bastian killed his girlfriend. And if he did her for that, then he may have killed Kevin also.”

Years of experience told him not to get too excited about the prospect of finally having a good break in the case. However, this was a lead. And a solid one.

“Have Podolski pick him up for more questioning, if he refuses, have Podolski arrest him for suspicion of murder.” Miro ordered and then checked his watch. “I’ll be at the office in twenty minutes.”

“You got it boss.” Thomas replied, excitement back in his voice as he ended the call and Miro shook his head. He hadn’t gotten a chance to thank him for his good work. Oh well, he could do that later.  
 Turning, Miro went back towards the bench with a purposeful look on his face.

“Let me guess, that call was super important and you have to go now?” Miro nodded, grabbing his suit jacket that he had brought with him from the house. “Well, say goodbye to the boys at least. Call me and we can go have breakfast or something tomorrow or the day after.”

Miroslav smiled and moved over to kiss her forehead. “You’re an angel. Remind me why I didn’t marry you?” He asked, teasingly.

Sylwia shook her head and playfully swatted at him. “Because I’m a lesbian and you’re a gay man, for a start?”

“Oh, right. I suppose there is that.” Miro smiled and waved at Luan and Noah so as he didn’t interrupt their game. “See you later, Sylwia. And I did enjoy our morning today.”

She smiled and nodded in agreement. “So did I. But don’t think you are off the hook for the end of that conversation.”

Miro shook his head and gave her another peck on the cheek before leaving and going towards the street where his car was parked. His mind shifted from family man mode back to the homicide detective and a million questions began to wake, stretch and swirl in his mind.

He had had a feeling about Schweinsteiger during the interview but he hadn’t been able to place it. Now that he thought about it, it did seem as if Bastian was uncomfortable and hiding something. Miro had picked up on the fact that he appeared unsettled during their conversation, but now that he had proof that he was hiding something…

Once he arrived at the office, Thomas was again, literally, bouncing on his heels. He really was like an energetic puppy sometimes. _Christ, are Luan and Noah going to be like this when they grow up?_ Miro groaned at the thought and moved over to Thomas’ desk.

“Lukas is on his way back with our suspect.” Thomas supplied once Miro was close enough he didn’t have to shout. “And Klinsi wants to talk to you as soon as you can.”

Miro nodded and ignored Ballack scoffing as he walked past. _Micha really needs someone to give him a reality check._ “Thank you, Thomas. And I didn’t get the chance earlier, but good work.”

He put his hand on Thomas’ shoulder and squeezed. Thomas beamed even more. _The little shit._ Lowering his voice, he moved slightly closer to Thomas and spoke near his ear so that the younger man could hear, and Thomas only.

“Don’t look so cheeky. Be pleased with yourself, but do it modestly. Those remember humility, but if you call attention to yourself, they will take great delight when you fail if you aren’t humble. Perfect example, take a look at Ballack.” Miro squeezed Thomas’ shoulder and stepped back. “Let me know when Podolski arrives.”

Thomas nodded and watched as Miro moved over to talk to Jürgen. He still felt pleased with himself, but he did acknowledge what Miro had said. He didn’t want to turn into Michael Ballack by any means. He took his seat and smiled a little, recalling the delicious shiver that had gone down his spine when Miro spoke next to his ear.

Oh no. Now he was going to have some problems. _You are developing a crush on your boss._ Perfect. Thomas wanted to groan and beat his head on the desk. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

“Cheer up,” _Ballack again, doesn’t he have anything better to do? Like, at all?_ “At least you’re not dead like Miro’s last partner. Yet.”

Thomas frowned and looked over. “Just what is that supposed to mean?”

 _Scheiße._ Michael’s face broke into a grin, delighted that Thomas finally accepted his bait.

“I would just watch your back if I were you, is all.” Michael replied with a nonchalant shrug that indicated a hundred things other than being uninterested in this conversation. “Since Miroslav is responsible for Lothar’s death, I would just be careful if I was his new partner. Which, of course, I wouldn’t ever be. No one would. That’s why they had to get a nobody from the academy who didn’t know any differently to be the man’s partner. Watch your back kid, somebody might shoot you in it. And that person may just be Miroslav Klose.”

Michael smirked and turned to walk away as Thomas’ jaw twitched in anger. He couldn’t reply factually when he was entirely ignorant of the situation that Michael was talking about. It was frustrating.

“Miro wouldn’t ever be in that position. You’re just jealous of his reputation. You think you’re being helpful but you aren’t. You just take delight in causing problems for other people, you’re just an assho—”

“ _Müller!_ ”

Thomas turned around to look at who spoke and he wanted the floor to just open and swallow him whole. To his embarrassment and undoubtedly Ballack’s delight, standing inside the doorway and witness to his outburst was Klinsi, Miroslav, and worst of all, the head of their division from all the way in Berlin, Joachim Löw.

_You’re in for it now._

Thomas did the only rational thing he could do. He gulped.


	8. Chapter Eight: Arrested

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thomas had been lectured before, many times, especially in school. But this was different. Anxiety at possibly being fired or written up, swam in his mind. He had just publically verbally argued with a senior officer in front of not only his boss and his boss’ boss, but the very top of the chain. A man who could fire all of them, if he so chose. _He was screwed._

Jürgen was looking away from him now, focused on Joachim again and now was apologizing for his behavior. _I am **so** fired._ Miro wasn’t looking at him at all and that was the worst. He had finally just started getting along with his boss, the man was starting to trust him a little, and what did he do? He just completely fucked that up. _Perfect._

“I promise you, Joachim, this department doesn’t operate this way. This behavior will not be tolerated.” Jürgen looked at Thomas again and there wasn’t any patience in that steely gaze either. “Do you have anything to say for yourself, Müller?”

Remembering what Miroslav said about excuses earlier and humility, Thomas swallowed hard. He could try and defend himself, say that he was trying to stick up for Miroslav but the other man probably wouldn’t appreciate being talked about that way. Never mind the fact it would be he-said against he-said, and he was the junior officer. It would be a lot easier to dismiss a young, untested officer fresh from the academy than terminate a seasoned detective with cases under his belt.

He really didn’t have much choice in the matter. He really didn’t.

“Only that I wish to convey how terribly sorry I let my temper get the better of me, sir. I misspoke.”

Jürgen watched him for a moment before shaking his head. “Müller, you’re on suspension until I determine what to do with you beyond that. That is effective immediately.”

Thomas felt his world tilt a little and his stomach began to knot. He was suspended, possibly permanently. _Oh, no._

He nodded, accepting his punishment for now. Thomas glanced over at Miroslav who was watching him with an expression he couldn’t quite place. At least he didn’t look disappointed, that was some comfort, right?

It wasn’t fair, though. He had done well up to this point and now he was going to miss the questioning. He was going to miss a possible confession. He was going to miss seeing Miroslav take Bastian to the cleaners and catch their killer. His first case, and he was going to miss all the truly good stuff.

Thomas turned to leave the office after giving an apologetic look to Jürgen and Miroslav. He opened the door and walked out, ramrod straight and with his chin up. He wasn’t going to give Ballack the satisfaction of seeing him defeated, even though he was. He was going to march over there, gather his things, and leave the office for hopefully _not_ the last time, and then he’d go home and have a beer and consider only _then_ about jumping off a bridge into the Isar.

\---

“He’s a good constable,” Miro supplied quietly once the door had shut behind Thomas.

Joachim looked at the detective. “I’m sure he is, and I see that Ballack still hasn’t changed.” Jogi then turned to look at Jürgen. “It’s a shame I had to come down here and see that. Tell me, what would you have done, Klinsi if I hadn’t been privy to what we witnessed?”

“Written up Müller for misconduct to a superior officer, warned him about it, and then let him go. Ballack would’ve gotten a talking to as well.” Jurgen shook his head as he sat down at his desk. “But that isn’t the situation we found ourselves in.”

“Klose,” Joachim turned to face the other man, “it was Müller who discovered this text message clue, was it not?” When Miro nodded, Joachim considered that a moment. “Would you find your investigation hindered if your partner was unavailable to you due to this suspension?”

If he was honest, Miro knew he could finish the case without him. He had already done so a hundred other times and cases while he’d been waiting on the office to send him a new partner. But that wouldn’t be fair or right, and Thomas was a good man. He just needed refinement. Besides, Joachim was giving him a way out, a way to do the right thing. Miro was grateful.

“Extremely so, sir.”

Joachim nodded and then turned to Jürgen. “It’s your choice, of course, my friend. However, I don’t see any reason why this suspension cannot be delayed. I am here to make sure this investigation runs smoothly. I find it would be beneficial if a vital member of the investigative team remained on the case.”

Jürgen smiled a little at Joachim and nodded. “Very well sir. Miroslav? If you’d like to catch your partner before he leaves…”

Miro nodded and looked between both men and spoke truly sincerely. “Thank you.”

He then left the office and Miro paused when he saw Thomas’ empty desk. _Didn’t take him long to clear out._ Miroslav went towards the corridor that housed the elevators and saw Thomas just walking into one. Moving quickly, Miroslav managed to slide in before the doors could shut.

Thomas looked surprised when he saw him. His mouth had started to open but Miroslav spoke before the boy could.

“You’re still here, good. We have work to do.”

“But the suspension?” Thomas asked, confused.

“Has been delayed. And if we do well, particularly if you do well in this case, Thomas, it may be revoked completely.” Miro gave him a small smile. “Now tell me, has your friend brought in our suspect yet? I need to find Philipp as well…”

\---

Miroslav and Thomas waited in the viewing room, watching as Bastian rested his elbows on the table in the interrogation room; his head was in his hands, fisting his hair. He looked like a troubled man, that was true, but did he really look like a murderer? Miro had long ago trusted himself to disregard who did or did not appear to be a murderer. He had learned that the hard way and he regretted it ever since. No, he wasn’t going to base it on looks anymore. It would be fact, as it should always be.

Miro turned to face Thomas.

“I know I promised—”

“Technically, I’m on suspension. I understand.” Thomas didn’t even look over to speak to him. Miro shook his head.

“We’re going to talk about that later. But for now, just watch his reactions. And for God’s sake avoid Michael at all costs.” Miroslav patted his shoulder as he walked out of the viewing room to take the corner to go into the interrogation room.

Bastian didn’t even look up when Miroslav entered. He remained as he was and Miro shook his head a little.

“Mr. Schweinsteiger, I have a few more questions for you.” Miroslav stated as he took a seat across the table. “Actually, I would prefer if you could explain a few things to me. Do you think you can do that?”

The man slowly lowered his hands from his face and nodded a little. He looked exhausted, tired. _He looks guilty of something._

“Can you explain the meaning of this to me?” Miro showed him a photocopy of Sarah’s text message that implicated him. Bastian lowered his elbows to the table, clasping his hands together as he exhaled.

“That’s not what it looks like.” Bastian started before he stopped.

“Will you please explain what it is then?” Miro asked patiently.

Bastian shook his head, an unamused laugh leaving him. “We were having a small disagreement earlier in the day. She’d misplaced her trainer shoes again. She thought I’d hidden them from her, like I do sometimes. She must have found them or something. That’s all that was about.”

“Training shoes?” Miro repeated and Bastian nodded. The level of incredulousness on Miro’s face was immeasurable. “How did you know our suspect was wearing a hoodie?”

“Sarah told me the night it happened. She came home and told me. I didn’t kill my girlfriend, detective. I loved her, I still do!” Bastian looked at Miroslav imploringly.

“You said she had asked you to meet her at the _Schadenfreude_ because she’d followed ‘him’ there. I don’t see any record of such a conversation. No text messages, no phone calls in her log. How did you come by this information?”

Bastian paused and looked as if he was trying to find a way to escape the predicament he found himself in. Thomas watched through the glass and couldn’t wait to hear the man’s reply. Miroslav was keeping his cool, asking questions in his patient, gentle tone, as if he were coaxing the truth from a startled child. No wonder he was so effective. He could get you to believe that he cared for you, cared what happened to you, as if he really just wanted to know what happened and why something so bad as murder had occurred. Thomas shivered a little and wondered how many confessions Miro had received based on just his tone of voice.

Thomas’ phone started to buzz in his pocket and he pulled it out to see that Philipp was calling. He answered quickly enough and listened to the short, informative sentences from the other man and Philipp hung up as soon as he had relayed what they needed. Thomas lifted his hand and knocked lightly on the glass with his knuckles and waited until Miroslav excused himself from Bastian and came over to answer the door. Thomas’ phone buzzed again, this time with a picture message that Philipp had sent.

“What is it?” Miro asked after he shut the door to the interrogation room behind him and returned to the room with Thomas.

“Philipp found this in Bastian’s apartment.” Thomas turned his phone to show Miroslav what they had discovered. He watched the older man’s face grow pensive and then a darker emotion clouded his eyes.

“You know,” Miro started, “I almost believed that he hadn’t done it. Have this printed out and then sent to me at once. Thank you, Thomas.”

Thomas nodded and rushed to do as he had been asked. Miroslav waited for the picture to print before taking the newly printed photo along with two other pictures that they had had of Kevin back into the interrogation room. With awed fascination, the way someone watches a charmer with a snake, Thomas watched as Miroslav approached their suspect. 

“Mr. Schweinsteiger,” Miro placed the photos along the table, face up. One was a picture of a crucifix, the other of Kevin’s sheet-covered body, and the last was one Pia had brought in of a smiling Kevin. “Can you please explain why this,” he pointed to the photo of Kevin’s crucifix, “showed up in your apartment when it belonged to our first victim?”

Thomas watched as Bastian’s face turned ashen and then completely devoid of any emotion whatsoever.

“I…I’d like an attorney, please.” Bastian managed after several attempts of speaking and also after swallowing stiffly.

Miroslav nodded and then stood up, taking the photos with him. “Yes, sir, I would say that you need one. I’m placing you under arrest for the murder of Kevin Großkreutz and Sarah Brandner.”


	9. Chapter Nine: Calm Before the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I blame Eliza and Simon for this chapter. Also, thank you again to everyone who comments who I don't reply to. Thank you so much, I love you all <3333 I also hope you like the ending to this chapter ;) :P

_He wasn’t one to celebrate_ , Thomas noticed as Miro kept a hand around the beer he’d ordered nearing an hour ago. Miro appeared to be lost in thought while Thomas was excited their first case had resulted in an arrest. He was positively giddy about that, but Miroslav didn’t seem to be.

“What’s bothering you?” Thomas asked after having enough of listening to himself talk and Miro not really listening to him.

“Hmm?” Miro asked, stirring from his thoughts and he looked at Thomas. “I’m sorry. I’m just thinking about the case.” He summoned a smile and Thomas noted the apology in it.

“We made an arrest. Doesn’t that mean we’ve solved it?” Thomas asked with a raised eyebrow.

“I suppose it would, apart from the trial and the paperwork.” Miro nodded slowly.

“But something is still bothering you, right?”

Miro watched him and a smile stayed on his expression. Thomas licked his lips slowly, the slight stickiness of the beer he’d finished cleared away by his saliva. _When did Miro have such clear eyes? Were they always that pretty? How drunk was he right now on a scale of one to fucked up?_ Thomas was a little bit sloshed but not much, just enough to give those thoughts a go. It’s not like it was the first time he’d thought about his boss like _that_ anyway.

Miro nodded and leaned back in the booth, stretching. Thomas took a good long view of the muscles underneath his shirt that he could only imagine what they looked like if on display. He really wanted to see and to touch.

“I just don’t think he would’ve killed his girlfriend.” Miro said.

“But an argument over a pair of shoes?” Thomas asked with a raised eyebrow.

Miro smiled a little, but it wasn’t one of good humor. “I didn’t say I thought he was honest. I just don’t believe he actually murdered his girlfriend. Besides, why would he have killed Kevin?”

Thomas sighed as he felt his good cheer leaving his body. Miroslav had a point. Why would Schweinsteiger have killed a banker’s son from Dortmund? Damnit. Thomas shifted in his seat and looked at Miroslav.

“So who do you think did it?” Thomas didn’t feel the need to say that his boss had started the arrest procedure and caused the paperwork for charges to be drafted up in the first place. It didn’t seem like a good idea or a way to put the trust in him by questioning his superior’s decisions.

Miro shook his head. “I’m not sure; that’s the fundamental problem. I think Bastian’s hiding something, but I don’t know what. Since he’s lawyered up, we may never know until we get to court. Did you ever get anything back about that handkerchief?”

Thomas had almost forgotten about that in all the excitement. If the truth be told, he _had_ forgotten about it. He shook his head. “Not yet. I’ll ask Torsten in the morning when we return to the office.”

Miroslav nodded and took a sip of his beer. Thomas watched his throat bob a little as he swallowed and he had to force himself to look away. _Now wouldn’t be the time or the place to get an erection, no matter how hot Miroslav looks right now._ Thomas waited until the glass was settled on the table once again before he dared look back over to his boss.

“So what’s the story with Pia Großkreutz? You mentioned some scandal before…” Thomas asked, hoping to change the subject and refocus his attention on literally anything other than his attractive partner.

Miro smiled a little as he leaned back in the booth again. “She married Martin Großkreutz after she was supposed to marry someone else. It was a big deal years ago because she was coming from a family with lots of money and was supposed to be marrying into another family with even more money when she chose Martin, who didn’t have as much.”

“So a bunch of rich people broke tradition and she married the lesser man?” Thomas asked with a raised eyebrow. At Miro’s nod, he shook his head. “That’s incredibly cliché and stupid. Aren’t we supposed to be past that stuff by now?”

Miro shrugged. “She was supposed to marry Jens Lehmann and picked someone else instead.”

Miro actually _grinned_ as Thomas dropped his beer, spilling a little on himself. Grabbing for napkins, Thomas spluttered.

“Jens Lehmann? The _chancellor_ of _Germany_?!”

“The one and the same.” Miro nodded and helped by handing Thomas more napkins to dab at where he’d spilled his drink on himself.

“I see why there was a scandal now.” Thomas muttered and resigned himself to having a stained shirt for the rest of the night. He shook his head and saw the happiness on Miroslav’s face and it made him smile. _So the boss does have a sense of humor after all._

As much as he hated to ruin the moment, now that he finally saw that Miroslav did have a sense of humor and could lighten up, something that Ballack said was bothering him. He couldn’t let it go, despite him wanting to.

Only, he wasn’t sure how to broach the subject with Miro at all. It wasn’t his place. It was absolutely none of his business. And most likely, it was going to be a conversation that Miroslav didn’t want to talk about, if the subject material was anything to go by. How could you just drop that into conversation casually? You couldn’t.

Thomas decided to wait and shuffle the conversation elsewhere before he would ask about it.

“So what are you going to do when you get home?” Thomas asked as casually as possible. Miro shrugged.

“Go to sleep. Wake up, shower, have breakfast with my boys if they come over, and then come to get you before we go back to work. It’s what I do almost every night.” 

Thomas looked surprised. “You have kids?”

 _Oh shit. You’ve been having a crush on a straight man. Aw hell, fucking fuck, scheiße. That’s funny he had_ gay _vibes all over him…_

Miroslav nodded. “Two boys, twins.”

“That’s cool.” Thomas replied just for something to say. What were you supposed to do in this situation? Awkwardness was undoubtedly seeping from his pores. He felt his palms grow sweaty. _Damn._ He really had hoped for a shot with the boss one day as well. _Get a grip, Müller._

“You seem disappointed?” Miroslav asked, expression cleared of all emotion again. Suddenly Thomas felt like he was the suspect up for questioning. Fuck how he could do that, he thought as he shifted uncomfortably in his booth.

“I just didn’t realize you had a family. You seemed like a workaholic to me.” Thomas shrugged. That was true, at least. Miro logged more hours than anyone he had ever heard of before. He was aware that sometimes at least Miro slept in the office. He guessed there were other things he didn’t know about that would probably remain secret about his habits.

“I suppose I am.” Miro smiled a little and it looked almost sad. Thomas felt a pang for the other man. He then smiled, this time it was much happier. “But I do have a family. My two boys, their mother and I suppose I can count Monika as family as well. Not to mention my other relatives.”

“Monika?” Thomas asked. There was a curious inflection on his tone as he said the woman’s name that stirred his curiosity. Miro smiled again, this time it was more guarded.

“Our children have two mothers and one father.” He was patient and let that sink in to Thomas’ mind, a fact which Thomas was most grateful for.

“Oh.” Thomas replied stupidly. _So there’s still a chance for you to fuck me?_ He didn’t ask, but he had to catch himself so that he wouldn’t. That’d be a stupid move. The alcohol was wearing off, he wasn’t going to be that brave because he wouldn’t have anything to blame it on.

Miroslav nodded and finished the rest of his beer. “Care for another?”

Thomas nodded. Well, if Miro didn’t want to go home after that landmine of awkward, he wasn’t going to complain.

Miro stood up and Thomas enjoyed the view he had of the man’s backside as he went over to the bar to get another round. Thomas wasn’t going to complain either that Miro bought this one, just as he’d bought the others. Who knew the boss was so generous? Thomas rested his elbows on the top of the booth as he leaned back.

Fuck. Miro had kids. He was hot, but kids were a lot of responsibility. No wonder he knew how to calm him down with that paternal ‘I can fuck you up’ look that Thomas hadn’t ever felt like crossing before.

His boss returned with two lagers and set them on the table. He then leaned back in the booth and watched Thomas again.

“So, your turn. Tell me about the incorrigible Thomas Müller, tell me things that aren’t in your dossier.” Miro said and sipped at the foam-topped beer.

Thomas shrugged. _So much for trying to avoid the spotlight of the conversation._ “I talk too much. I watch too much football and I sleep probably more than you do.” _Great topics of conversation, Müller._

“I see.” Miro smiled a little. Thomas wondered what he was thinking. _Probably how to get rid of you as his partner without shooting you._ Thomas wanted to wince at that thought. Speaking of which…

“So Ballack told me something interesting before I…before you know what happened.” Thomas shifted a little and gulped a large part of his drink.

“I’m surprised. Michael has little to say that anyone finds interesting, but go on…” Miroslav said and Thomas was a little shocked. That was probably the meanest thing he’d ever heard Miro say. His honesty and candor was refreshing.

“He said that…” Thomas hesitated and tried to find a nice way to ask it. Realizing there wasn’t one, he apologized in advance. “I’m sorry, this is going to come out wrong. He said you had shot and killed your last partner?”

Thomas had never seen a living statue before, but when Miro froze after he spoke, he guessed that’s what one would look like. Slowly, he watched Miro’s eyes darken. With remorse? With anger? With guilt? Thomas wasn’t sure. As the silence stretched between them, Thomas shifted uncomfortably, but still Miro didn’t move.

“I’m…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.” Thomas mumbled an apology and wished he hadn’t spoken. He felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment. “Forget it.”

“No, you have a right to know, I suppose. You are my partner after all.” Miro replied, though any trace of kindness or gentleness was gone from his tone, completely and utterly gone.

“Lothar and I were going to speak to a suspect who had murdered his wife and children. We had him cornered. Since I was the junior officer on the case, Lothar suggested I go to cut off the suspect after he ran. I did as he asked, unquestioningly and faithfully.” Miro paused a moment and looked as if he was lost in thought. Thomas waited patiently until he spoke again.

“By the time I had reached the other end of the alley, the only place to cut him off, Lothar and the suspect had gotten into a fight. I ran to catch up with them, but Lothar had made a mistake, and our suspect had him hostage. We both tried to talk the man out of it, but he wasn’t going to budge. He had had a psychotic break and there was no reasoning with him. I didn’t have a choice.”

Miro looked at Thomas at that part, as if he was begging Thomas to believe him. Instantly, Thomas nodded, but still had the good sense not to speak.

“I didn’t have a choice. I tried to only wound Lothar, but they scuffled. The shot was miscalculated because I wasn’t anticipating them to move. It went through Lothar and into our suspect, unfortunately both were killed.”

Miro drifted off after the last word and Thomas wanted to reach over and hug him, touch him, do something that would bring him comfort, but he couldn’t. He just watched his boss for a moment before he looked down into the foam of his beer. He couldn’t imagine what that must be like.

“I’m sorry, Miroslav.” Thomas said and looked up, apologies on his face.

“Yeah. Me too. Lothar was an excellent detective, the best.” Miro said a little coldly and he finished his beer in one long swallow. Impressive, considering most of it had still been in the glass. “I should get going.”

Thomas nodded numbly. He felt bad. He ruined a good evening that they had bonded on, at least they had been until he’d asked a stupid question.

“Come on, I’ll drop you off.” Miro replied. “Then we can see what we can do about seeing who our real killer is.” Thomas nodded and finished as much of his beer as he wanted. He wasn’t really thirsty anymore.

“I’m sorry, Miroslav. I didn’t mean to ask.” Thomas said as they walked out to the car, the cold evening air was like a slap in the face to him. He felt a little tipsy again.

“Yes you did, Müller.” Miroslav corrected, a little less than kindly. “You meant to ask. You didn’t mean for the truth to be what it is.”

“I’m still sorry.” Thomas mumbled as he slipped into the 5-series.

“Well don’t be. It wasn’t your fault.”

“Wasn’t yours either, Sir.” Thomas was having problems getting his seatbelt on. It seemed like it was caught on the door or something.

“Stop calling me that. Sir. Stop it. It makes me want to…” Miro paused and shook his head as he watched Thomas try to get the seatbelt undone.

“Makes you want to what?” Thomas asked, finally prying the seatbelt into a normal position. However, he still couldn’t make it click into place.

“It makes me want to do things that no one should discuss with a fellow employee.” Miro replied and went to reach to turn the car on.

“We’re off the clock. Spill it, _Sir_.” Thomas replied, grinning. The alcohol really was making him more brazen. Besides, he wanted to make Miro forget the painful conversation they’d had. If it meant acting like a stupid silly little boy, then by God he’d do it. It appeared to be working, since Miro no longer looked sad but rather amused and a bit put-off by his antics.

Miro shook his head and looked over at Thomas. They were close together now and Thomas wanted to lean closer still and kiss him. He wanted to, but he didn’t. Miroslav sighed heavily.

“It makes me want to do things to you. Things that I haven’t done in…” He shook his head and was trying to think of a number. Thomas grinned.

“Go ahead and do them, Sir. I wouldn’t complain in the slightest.”

Thomas did lean forward then and he did something he’d wanted to do since he’d first seen Miroslav in the office.

He kissed him.


	10. Chapter Ten: The Storm Breaks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So some important stuff about this chapter:
> 
> **Please note the increased rating. That's for a reason.**
> 
> Also there's some semi-kinky shit that goes on, and uh, that may not be everyone's cup of tea. Also, [click on this and listen to it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmjvz-JApS4) while you're reading. You're welcome ;) As always, thank you so much to everyone who continues to read and comment. I hope you all enjoy this part...I know I did ;) I'll cross my fingers that it's as good as I hope it is.

It really probably wasn’t a great idea to sleep with your constable. It really wasn’t. And yet…

Miroslav kissed Thomas while being pulled into the younger man’s flat. Miro didn’t take the time to look around to see what the décor was, or the state of cleanliness, or anything like that. He was a bit preoccupied with the rough hands and desperate kisses that Müller was currently giving him.

He lifted a hand to loosen his tie a little before moving his hand to put a firm grip on Thomas’ shoulder to calm him down a little. He could feel the younger man’s erection against his thigh and Miro was more than a little aware of his own need. He groaned a little as Thomas broke the kiss to move his lips down Miroslav’s neck. _Fuck_.

Thomas started to unbutton Miro’s shirt, his knuckles ghosting along the fabric of Miro’s undershirt. Miro pulled Thomas’ shirt from his trousers and shifted to get Thomas to look into his eyes.

“We have all night.” Miro murmured, eyes darker than ever with lust. Thomas seemed to growl and Miro swore he felt Thomas get _harder_.

“So…what did you want to do to me, Sir?” Thomas asked, grinning mischievously while his eyes sparkled with delight.

Miro shook his head and watched Thomas seriously. “Are you sure you want to play this game?”

Thomas continued to grin. “I was sure the moment I saw you.” Thomas took the moment of Miro’s silence and opened his shirt all the way. He pouted. “Why did you have to wear an undershirt?”

Miro shook his head and pulled Thomas in for another kiss. It seemed like the easier thing to do than explain his fashion choices. Thomas seemed happy enough to comply; his mouth opened almost instantly under Miro’s lips. The older man kissed him deeply before pulling back again.

“Show me to the bedroom, Müller.” Miroslav ordered in his gentle tone. Thomas nodded and frantically grabbed Miro’s hand and led him towards his bedroom. Miro only had a moment to realize how clean everything actually was before Thomas was kissing him again. “Sit on the bed.”

Thomas groaned a little but did acquiesce without hesitation and he watched Miro impatiently as he came nearer to the bed. Miroslav reached forward and slowly started to unbutton Thomas’ shirt slowly. Where he had worn an undershirt, Thomas hadn’t and this was a fact that Miro was extremely grateful for in that moment. The smooth, pale skin of Thomas’ chest revealed itself to his eyes and Miro was right all along. The boy was very well muscled.

“If you want to stop, you tell me. No second thoughts or hesitations. Understand?” Miro asked and Thomas nodded enthusiastically. _Was everything about this boy so energetic? Guess we’ll find out…_

Miro watched as Thomas licked his lips as Miro started to undo his belt. Miro straightened as Thomas took over and helped lower his trousers and his briefs in one move. Balancing himself by placing his hands behind his back, Miro watched as Thomas leaned forward and took him into his mouth with no encouragement needed at all. 

Once his cock was swallowed by Thomas’ mouth, Miroslav groaned. _God, it really had been too long since he’d gotten laid._ Thomas’ head moved along the length of his shaft with hardly any effort at all; he’d also moved his hands to hold Miroslav’s thighs and only his head was moving, bobbing up and down as he sucked hard around Miro’s shaft.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Miro breathed as Thomas swirled his tongue around the tip of his cock.

Thomas seemed to laugh a little around his cock and Miro groaned again. He felt himself getting close, so he brought his hand forward to run lightly through Thomas’ hair before he tugged lightly. He felt Thomas moan around his shaft. Making a mental note of that, Miro shifted back a little to let his cock slide from Thomas’ mouth.

“Finish undressing and lay back.” Miro ordered, voice a little deeper than when this evening started. He watched as Thomas pulled his clothes off quickly and did exactly as Miro asked, laying back on the bed. Miro looked over his body slowly, taking his time to look over the boy.

Smooth skin. _He waxes, how delicious._ Freckles covered his skin occasionally and he obviously went to the gym. Miroslav was definitely impressed by the definition he was seeing. This was going to completely fuck up things at work, but at the sight of the hard cock currently resting on Thomas’ abdomen, Miro had already mentally thrown any concern about work out the window. He only had his body’s advice in mind and his body, particularly his loins, was reminding him acutely he hadn’t actually had sex in forever.

Thomas’ fingers twitched and his hand moved slightly, first to his thigh then to his stomach. Miro knew exactly where the boy wanted to rest his hand and Miro shook his head and _tut_ -ted softly.

“Don’t.” He ordered softly and finished removing his own clothes as much as possible. “Where’s your lube, condoms?”

Thomas pointed to the drawer in the nightstand next to the bed where Miroslav moved over to once he was shown where to go. He walked calmly and he hoped that he exuded confidence as much as he hoped to relay. Internally, he was anything but calm. He wanted to fuck Müller as badly as the boy wanted him to. However, he was going to draw it out. Miro wasn’t a young boy any more and he could be patient, even if Thomas couldn’t be.

Miroslav opened the drawer and took out the things he needed, raising his eyebrow when he saw something else that Müller kept in his drawer. He looked over with the arched eyebrow.

“What?” Thomas asked at his expression.

“A cock ring? You are a naughty boy.” Miro smiled slowly and shut the drawer without removing the ring. That would definitely come in handy later. Thomas was grinning but there was a red tint to his cheeks.

Miro moved onto the bed and leaned down to kiss him. Responding at first touch, Thomas shifted up onto his elbows and leaned up into the kiss. Miroslav kissed him harder, controlling the kiss as Thomas’ hands gripped at his wrists.

“Please?” Thomas begged after the kiss ended. Miro shifted and kissed the boy’s cheek, then up to the smooth skin right next to his ear. Softly, breathing over his skin, Miro asked.

“Please what?”

Thomas groaned and shifted to kiss Miro again, harder than before.

“Please fuck me. I’ll do anything. I’ll let you do anything. Just please? Please fuck me.” Thomas begged, the grip on Miro’s wrist had shifted to hold the other man’s hand. His eyes were wide, staring pleadingly into Miro’s and Miro smiled a little, knowingly.

“You beg so nicely.” Miro murmured, kissing Thomas softly again before he shifted to lean on his arm on the bed. “Turn over.”

Thomas shifted into position and crossed his arms underneath his head to support himself. He kept his head looking in Miro’s direction, hopeful look still in place. Miroslav slowly moved his hand down Thomas’ spine, feeling very vertebrae underneath his fingertips. He then moved over Thomas’ body and kissed down the boy’s spine until he reached the rounded flesh off his ass.

Miroslav ran his tongue along the small of Thomas’ back before he kissed both of the man’s cheeks, his fingers prying him open as he did so. He wasn’t going to rim him, at least not yet. He moved back up Thomas’ spine again, hearing a groan of frustration. Miro smiled a little and pressed his chest against Thomas’ back as he kissed the younger man’s neck slowly. Thomas tilted his head and Miro kissed him hard. Thomas pressed back into his body, his ass pressing against Miro’s cock. Miroslav hissed when Thomas started to roll his hips a little.

“Please?” Thomas begged again. Miro pulled back, causing him to whine a little and he moved his hands from underneath his chin so that he could press his face into the comforter. His hands fisted it as Miro shifted away to start to prepare him, having poured a little lube onto his fingers and had started to tease Thomas’ ass with his finger. “Fuck, Miro, _please_!”

“I like your manners, but you must learn patience, Müller.” Miro slipped his fingers into Thomas’ hole and slowly started to stretch him.

“There’s still so much you need to learn.” Miro’s voice lowered sexily and he heard Thomas gasp, whether it was at his words or the fact his fingers found his prostate or a heart-quickening combination of both, he wasn’t sure. “Patience, Thomas.”

“Fuck patience. You’re driving me crazy, _Sir_.” Thomas emphasized the last word as he pressed back into Miro’s fingers. “Fuck me, please? How many times do I have to beg you?”

Miro shook his head, but Thomas couldn’t see it. Instinctively, Miro smacked Thomas’ ass, the crack echoing in the quiet room. For a moment Miro paused. Should he have done that? Was that a little too much? Thomas didn’t seem to mind though, his hand shifted underneath his body to stroke himself a little. _Kinky little boy._ Miro shook his head and hurried his preparations along.

When Thomas was adequately stretched open and ready for him, Miro leaned over him again, kissing him hard. Thomas responded as he had all night, eagerly.

“You want me to fuck you?” Miro asked with another slap to Thomas’ rear. At his quick nod, Miro smacked him again. “Would you enjoy that?”

“God, yes,” he purred and bit his lip after another few spanks.

“Lift your ass for me.” Miro said before he kneeled up behind Thomas and took hold of his hips. Thomas did as he asked while Miroslav put the condom on. Lubing the outside of it just to be extra safe, Miro slowly started to push into his partner.

His eyes closed once he was in all the way to the hilt of his cock. _God damn. Why was he going celibate for so long again?_ Miro slowly moved his hips backwards to thrust back into Thomas.

“Fuck, Miroslav.” Thomas groaned, his hands fisted the comforter even more than before. He was meeting each thrust with a press back into Miro’s body. Miro quickened the pace between them and he felt the pleasure building in him. He kept a firm grip with one hand on Thomas’ hips as he fucked him and his other hand moved around to slowly stroke Thomas’ cock.

Thomas groaned and timed it so that he could thrust into Miro’s hand while Miro fucked him.

“God you feel so good.” He meant to say, but his words died in a moan as Miro hit his prostate again. He didn’t really care how much of that came out before he lost the ability to speak.

Miro sped up his movements, sweat slowly rolling down his cheek from his temple at the effort. Thomas kept moaning and that deliciously dirty sound was going to be the undoing of him, never mind the tightness around his cock and the feel of a heavy, hot cock in his hand. The combination of all three things in addition to Thomas swearing under his breath was too much. Miroslav came, pitching forward as he did so so that his chest was pressed against Thomas’ back. Somehow he remembered to keep moving his hand because Thomas came around his fingers a moment later.

Breathing heavily, Miro sank onto Thomas’ bed and he waited a moment before he could summon the energy to remove the used condom and dispose of it properly. Thomas had lowered himself back to the mattress and had shifted so that he was on his back. Miro could tell from the rapid rise and fall of his chest that he was having a moment or two to recover also. Miro felt a little better that it wasn’t just him that had gotten winded from their joint venture.

Miro leaned back onto his arm and shifted closer to Thomas. He leaned down and kissed the boy’s temple, only to be pulled into a kiss. It wasn’t chaste. Miro didn’t think Thomas would ever be a person to kiss someone so lacking in passion as a chaste kiss. This kiss was sweet, though. Miro felt himself smile into it. Once he realized that he was smiling, Thomas also began to smile. This wasn’t a cocky grin or a smirk; it was a genuinely happy, sated, wonderful smile.

“Stay?” Thomas whispered and chewed his lip. Miro thought about it. There was breakfast with his boys that he’d been looking forward to. But he could set an alarm for that. He could wake up, rush through a shower at home, perhaps maybe shower with Thomas here to save time and water? Conservation was important after all…

Miro nodded slowly and Thomas’ eyes sparkled with delight.

“Perfect.” He shifted closer to Miro and Miro recognized his intent immediately. Opening his arms, he welcomed Thomas closer to hold their bodies together. Thomas made a contented sound and he closed his eyes. “I thought you were going to make me beg all night.”

He said it with amusement. Miro stroked his back slowly, calmly.

“Well, not _all_ night…” Miro started and felt Thomas nip at his neck, the closest part of him that he could reach without really moving. Miro chuckled softly and closed his eyes, holding Thomas close.

He refused point blank to think about their future beyond this moment and the morning immediately following it. For once, he wasn’t going to think about work or the fifteen different rules they’d just broken by having a night in like this. He wasn’t going to let logic fuck with something that just felt good for a change. There would be time for that later.

Thomas’ breathing slowed after a few moments and Miro also felt himself getting drowsy. The alcohol from earlier mixed with their exertion now, it would be enough to make anyone feel sleepy. More than just a little contented, Miroslav fell asleep holding Thomas in his arms.


	11. Eleven: Mistakes and Urgency

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some shit gets real. Also, we're about nearing the end of this story...so you know what that means... Say hello to your killer ;)

Miroslav woke up first, his arm asleep because Thomas was laying on it. He ran a hand over his face and resisted a groan out loud. _Fuck._ His head was killing him and the guilty conscious he was on good-terms with raised its sleepy head and was quick to remind him about all the department’s policies they had just broken. _Fuck._

Thomas remained asleep; it was, after all, still early. Miro shook his head and extracted himself from the bed as carefully as he could. He caught his phone before the alarm went off, a lifetime of rising early prepared him to beat even the electronic device. He redressed as quietly as possible; Müller remained asleep behind him.

For a few moments, Miroslav watched the younger man sleep. He noticed the bruises on Thomas’ hip. He didn’t even have to compare the size of his hand to know where they’d come from. Shaking his head, Miro turned and left the bedroom quietly, careful to find the right door in the unfamiliar residence. Thomas kept things neater than Miroslav had expected. The only really dirty thing were a couple dishes left in the sink. Everything else appeared to be tidy and have its own place.

The gray light of dawn illuminated the room enough for him to make his escape. Miroslav went down the flight of stairs and returned to his parked car. Once inside, he sent Thomas a text that he knew the other man would check when he woke up and realized Miro was gone. ‘ _Gone home to shower. See you later._ ’

On the entire drive home, Miroslav’s mind berated him with reminders of his position, his responsibilities, never mind the fact that he was Thomas’ immediate superior. How could he ever give Thomas an order about proper protocol ever again after what he had done? 

When the guilt began to be so overbearing, he was feeling an anxiety attack starting to begin, he made himself think of something else. Something important, such as why Bastian would’ve killed Kevin.

Their case was currently entirely circumstantial and it left a bad taste in Miroslav’s mouth. He liked facts, truths that he could grasp onto and present to a court beyond a reasonable doubt that ‘yes, this person did this and this was why they did it and how they did it, when, where’ and so on. Miro tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he waited for traffic to clear before he could turn onto the street his home could be found.

Why would Bastian have murdered Kevin Großkreutz? How did they know each other? Had Bastian ever been to Dortmund before? On that note, why had Kevin and his friends chosen Munich to vacation from holiday? Why not Berlin or perhaps even somewhere closer to Dortmund?

Miro had already made up his mind to re-interview Kevin’s friends before they left, as well as find out what the hell Schweinsteiger was actually hiding. That was, of course, if he could get around the man’s attorney, some smart-arse Dutchman Arjen something.

Making a plan of action, Miro pulled into his driveway and started out of the car to get inside his home and prepare for a day to actually make headway into the case that was currently driving him crazy.

\---

Thomas joined Miroslav in the 5-series about four hours later. As Miro pulled away from the curb, once Thomas had his seatbelt on of course, Thomas looked over to his boss and smiled warmly, though it felt pointless because Miro wasn’t smiling. In fact, Miroslav looked very unhappy period. Something was wrong.

“Good morning?” Miro just nodded once but didn’t look at him. Thomas frowned. Something was very wrong indeed.

“We’re okay, aren’t we?” Thomas asked, all traces of the smile vanished like they had never been. He chewed his lip instead. “I mean: it’s not going to be awkward now is it?”

“Thomas…” Miro started but Thomas interrupted quickly.

“We don’t have to do it again, ever. If you didn’t enjoy yourself, I’m sorry. I know I had a good time, but if you didn’t, then it’s okay. We don’t have to do it anymore. I’m sorry. I—”

“ _Thomas!_ ” Miroslav hissed and Thomas closed his mouth quickly. “Holger called. He finally had results on your DNA sample. He said he left you a message. The point is: Kevin Großkreutz and Sarah Brandner are related. Their half-siblings, sharing the same father.”

Thomas’ eyes widened and he stared at Miroslav, who only spared him a glance once he stopped for a red light.

“You mean my hunch was right?” Thomas whispered. Miroslav nodded and looked back to the road.

“It would seem so.”

“I bet my next paycheck that it wasn’t Martin either, was it?” Thomas asked and Miro nodded again. Thomas fist pumped the air and grinned with delight. When Miroslav still didn’t seem happy, he asked, “Is that it or…?”

“If you’re referring to the events of last night, we can discuss those later. For now, we’re on our way to the hotel to see Kevin’s friends before they leave. I still don’t think Schweinsteiger did this.”

Thomas nodded slowly, more than a little put off by the fact that Miroslav referred to one of the best nights of his life as ‘the events of last night’. Was that all he was to him? A quick, wonderful fuck and a drunken mistake? They hadn’t been _that_ drunk, after all.

“Of course, Sir.” Thomas spoke softly, not catching it till afterwards the implications his words could be left open to interpretation. He thought he heard Miroslav sigh but the other man didn’t speak and Thomas was grateful to him for that. He’d already embarrassed himself enough since he entered the car, the least he could do was shut up for a while and focus on work. That was easier said then done when memories of fucking Miroslav kept crossing his mind. _God, he’d been excellent in bed._

“Which one of his friends do you think did it?” Thomas asked after a moment of thinking on the case.

“Hummels and Höwedes alibied each other, so perhaps they are lying and covering for one another? And the other one, Reus, stated he was texting his boyfriend at the time. I haven’t checked the phone records yet, but I suppose that could be true. While waiting to interrogate him, he hardly put the phone down.” Miroslav started to think aloud. Thomas felt special to be included into his thoughts.

“Do me a favor and have Podolski stop work on the court papers for Schweinsteiger.” When Thomas raised his eyebrows, Miroslav continued. “I know. Have his attorney brought in as well. We’re going to find out what he’s hiding today also.”

Thomas nodded and pulled out his phone to do as Miroslav had asked. By the time he had finished, Miroslav was parking the car in the hotel’s parking lot.

Miroslav and Thomas entered the hotel where, thankfully, another receptionist was working instead of the original one that had treated them so poorly originally. Miroslav flashed his identification card and inquired as to if the three of them were still checked in. The clerk nodded and Miroslav worked out the arrangements while Thomas watched his boss at work.

There was a definite change in Miroslav’s demeanor today than there had been previously. Thomas knew he’d always been invested in the case, but something was driving him to get it done now. Thomas wondered what had changed. Was the innocence of one man spurring him forward to solving this crime? Was the love of a mother for her son so desperate to get Miro so involved? Was it the fact he regretted last night with Thomas and wanted a distraction, any kind of distraction at all, to forget about it?

Thomas hoped Miro was going for noble instead of the regretted decision. He had truly enjoyed every minute of last night and hoped for repeats, even though it was against the department regulations. Couldn’t help who you fell in love with, could you? _Christ. ‘In love with’. Had he fallen so hard already?_

Miroslav was walking towards the elevator and Thomas hurried after him. Like before, he was the one to hit the button and he waited as it arrived. He spared a glance to his boss and tried to smile at him, but Miroslav still looked unhappy.

“What is it?” he asked once they had gotten into the elevator. “You’re not yourself today.”

Miro shook his head. “I want this case solved, Thomas. Correctly and quickly.”

“And it isn’t because of last night?” Thomas asked again, chewing his lip. He knew he was pushing it now.

“No. It has nothing to do with last night.” Miro replied shortly. _Sure it didn’t._ Thomas held back a sigh and followed Miroslav out of the elevator and into the luscious hotel hallway.

They walked until they found the right hotel room numbers and Miroslav knocked on the door belonging to Marco Reus first. They waited for a moment and heard some scrambling around before a door opened and Miro raised his eyebrow. That was most decidedly _not_ the man they knew as Marco Reus.

“Good morning, we’re looking for Mister Reus?” Miroslav stated to the shorter man while showing him his card as well.

The man glanced at the card and then nodded. “Of course. Let me tell him and he’ll be right back in a moment, ok?”

Miro nodded and watched as the door shut. He looked at Thomas with raised eyebrows. Both of them had the same thought. At least on the fifth floor, Reus couldn’t jump out a window and escape if he felt so inclined. That was a good thing.

A moment later, the man they did know as Reus opened the door and he looked as if he had dressed quickly. Thomas had a pretty good idea that he and Miroslav had just interrupted a ‘good time’ as it were.

“Yes? Detective, hi. Sorry. How can I help you?” He asked, running a hand through his styled hair. “Did you find out what happened to Kevin yet?”

“We are still making inquiries. Would you like to talk about this out here, Marco, or would you prefer to keep it more private in your hotel suite?” Miro asked politely.

“Here’s fine. I don’t mind. I don’t have anything to hide.” He flashed a smile and then pointed his thumb to the doorway. “Just don’t tell the other half that, he’ll ask me where we’re going for our honeymoon.”

Miro didn’t laugh at the joke, but Thomas smiled. Seeing that, Marco warmed a little more towards Thomas. They nodded to one another, both acknowledging a bad joke when they heard it.

“Very well. Marco, can you remember anything about where you were two nights ago?” Miroslav asked, causing Marco to frown.

“I thought Kevin died several days ago…?”

“He did. Can you please answer the question?” Thomas asked again.

Marco shrugged. “Me, Mats and Bene were a bit put off. We went out again to try and forget, pay homage to Kev, I guess. Mario joined us if you needed someone to check out our story.”

“Mario?” Miroslav asked and Marco nodded.

“He’s my better half, love of my life, all that.” Marco smiled a little and his tone noticeably softened when he mentioned him.

“I see. And when did Mario arrive in Munich?”

“The night Kevin died, actually.” Marco said and must’ve seen Thomas’ eyebrows raise at that fact, because he quickly added. “But it’s not like what you think. He was planning on coming with us anyway but he had a family thing he’d had to do first. He was coming in on the train, which is why I was texting him. I needed to know when we had to bounce to go pick him up.”

Miroslav nodded and appeared to believe the story. “Very well. Thank you Mister Reus.”

Marco nodded and put his hands in his shorts’ pockets. “Just let me know what happens okay? Kevin was a good friend of mine.”

Miro and Thomas both agreed and excused themselves, but not before Miroslav turned to face Marco again.

“And Marco? We’d be very appreciative if you and your friends continued to stay in Munich a little longer, at least until we know what happened exactly to Kevin.” Miro said and Marco nodded, hand hesitating a little on the doorknob.

“Of course, inspector. We’ll be here.” Marco gave another smile and then opened the door and walked inside.

As the two detectives walked towards the next room over, the one where Mats and Benedikt were sharing, Miro appeared to be lost in thought.

“Showing up the night your friend is killed is suspicious, especially when it’s later than the rest of them…” Thomas thought aloud. Miroslav nodded as he raised his hand to knock again.

“It is, Thomas. It is indeed.”

\---

 _Why did you kill him? Why couldn’t you talk him out of it? You could have convinced him. Kevin didn’t need to die and neither did Sarah. You could’ve stopped yourself. You_ should _have stopped yourself. Now_ he _knows. And he’ll never forgive you for it. You have to stop him before he tells someone else. You have to stop him._

The voice in his head kept going around and around, telling him what he already knew. As much as he didn’t want to listen to it, he knew he would have to kill again. This time it would be one of the hardest things he had ever had to do.

Only now there was no choice. _He_ had to die; _He_ was a marked man and he had to go.


	12. Twelve: Guilt Assuaged

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the beginning of the end. One more chapter after this one with an epilogue to follow. I've enjoyed working on this story and I'm proud of myself for actually finishing another one ^.^ Thank you so much to everyone who has read/commented on this work and please let me know what you think of it. :D P.s. I love all of your speculations, keep those coming ;)

Miroslav and Thomas returned to the office with fresh information on their heels. Purposefully, they strode into the office and Thomas stopped at his desk to complete the assignment Miro had given him. Miro was on his way to the office when Jürgen caught up to him and called out to him.

“Miro, my office, please.”

Changing course as gracefully as a gazelle in the savannah, Miro followed Jürgen into the boss’ office. Thomas shook his head and set about to send the email to Sebastian Kehl that Miro had asked him to.

“Do you have any new leads?” Jürgen asked once the door shut behind his lead detective. “The Großkreutz are getting anxious, especially after you ordered the paperwork on your suspect to be dissolved.”

Miro nodded. “I don’t think Schweinsteiger did it. We’re getting closer to the real killer. I have Müller checking on something in Dortmund. I’m going to have Schweinsteiger released and—”

“Miro, you’ve been spending too much time with Müller. You’re talking about as much as he does.” Jürgen smiled a little but sat down at his office and picked up a folder before offering it to Miroslav. “Put your constable on this. He should be smart enough to work on it while you’re wrapping up the Großkreutz case.”

Miroslav took the offered folder and glanced at the name on it and frowned. “What is it?”

“A new case, I thought you would recognize what one of those look like by now, Miroslav.” Jürgen said and Miro looked up.

“You’re taking us off the Großkreutz and Brandner case?”

Jürgen shook his head and muttered something that sounded a lot like ‘definitely spent too much time with Müller’ before he spoke louder. “I said I was leaving you on the case, your constable can investigate the new one. As soon as you’re done with your case, you can assist him.”

“What about his suspension?” Miro asked, watching his boss warily.

“The paperwork has gotten lost in all this stuff on my desk. In fact, I’m pretty sure I may never find it…” Jürgen met Miro’s eyes and the older man nodded. “Just don’t let him mess it up, okay?”

Miroslav nodded and held the folder tightly in his hand. “I’m one hundred percent positive he won’t. Thank you, sir.”

Jürgen nodded. “Now, go catch us a killer and get the innocent man out of our prison. We need the room. Use Lahm if you need assistance in questioning suspects or something. Joachim took Michael back to Berlin with him and Philipp isn’t doing anything right now too seriously.”

Miro wanted to ask why Philipp couldn’t just investigate the new case then, but he didn’t. He wasn’t feeling brave enough to risk insubordination or talking back to a superior officer. Especially not after Thomas had just slipped past that in a far more public scale.

“Yes sir.” Miro nodded and left his office. He took a deep breath before he started moving over towards Thomas’ desk. The younger man leaned back from his computer as he saw Miro’s approach, smile in place when he arrived to stand next to him. Miro looked down at the excited face. He was about to disappoint him in a large way.

“Did you send that email?” Miro asked and Thomas nodded.

“Just sent it as you walked up.” Thomas grinned.

“Good, then you can start looking into this.” Miro handed over the new folder and waited for the bombardment of questions that Thomas was undoubtedly going to ask and he wasn’t necessarily going to have answers for.

“What is it?”

“Our next case.”

Thomas looked confused and Miro didn’t blame him. However, it was out of his hands.

“But we’ve almost finished the other one?” Thomas asked, disappointment leaking into his tone.

“Sadly, murder doesn’t wait for us to solve one before another starts. Thomas, I’m trusting you with this to run it by yourself until I finish this case. I promise I will be there to assist you as soon as I can and I will keep you informed of the developments in this case.” Miroslav said it almost as convincingly as if he actually believed it.

Thomas’ expression cleared as his whole body stiffened. His eyes seemed to cloud over; they became more guarded than they had been a moment ago. His excitement was gone.

“Look, if you wanted to just get me reassigned so you don’t have to deal with me, you can just say so. You don’t have to lie, Miroslav.” Thomas said, quietly and he took the new folder from the desk. Miro opened his mouth to disagree but Thomas interrupted. “Just save it. Good luck, _Sir._ ”

With that, Thomas left the office and Miroslav watched him go with a sigh. _Great._

Miroslav shook his head. He wasn’t given much time to dwell on Thomas’ departure before Podolski showed up with Schweinsteiger’s lawyer in immediate tow behind him. Miro took a moment to collect himself before he faced both of them.

“Thank you for coming. I wished to question your client again and of course, you needed to be here for that.” Miro said by way of greeting. Arjen looked as if he was going to dispute that before they even got started. “I’m also going to potentially have him released, based on his answers to a few of those questions. So if you please?” Miro gestured towards the corridor that led to the interrogation rooms. “I believe your client has already been brought up from holding and is waiting on us.”

Arjen still looked as if he was going to disagree but Miro’s polite tone and gesture silenced him. Lukas gave him a thumb’s up behind Arjen’s back as the Dutchman led the way towards the interrogation room.

“Thank you, officer Podolski. I appreciate it.” Miro told Lukas before they went their separate ways.

Arjen took a moment to prepare Bastian for questioning and then Miroslav entered a few minutes later. He sat on the opposite side of the table where he normally would and folded his hands on the table.

“Now then, Bastian. Why don’t you tell me the truth? I know you didn’t kill either of them, so what are you really afraid to tell me?” Miroslav asked and watched the former suspect from across the table.

Bastian fidgeted and looked at Arjen before the older man finally nodded and Bastian sighed. He ran his hands through his now-unkempt hair and then down his face. He looked tired, exhausted. _Guilty_. He released a long, held breath before he spoke.

“Sarah and I…” Bastian sighed and looked at his hands. His shoulders were tense. “Sarah and I had been having a few disagreements a lot lately, that was true. We were seeing other people because we technically weren’t together anymore. We still lived together, but it was only as friends.”

Miro watched and waited for the rest of his story.

“I’d fallen in love with someone else. His name is Mario.” Miroslav’s ears perked up. Ideas began swimming around but then Bastian quashed the thoughts before they could completely form. “Mario Gomez. We know each other from work.”

“Did she know you were bi-sexual?” Miroslav asked and Bastian nodded.

“Yes. She even knew Mario and approved of our relationship.”

“Then what were you having disagreements about?” Miro asked. He was finding it hard to believe that a couple that were still living together after so recent a break-up could handle having a new relationship starting so close to home. It wasn’t impossible, but it was incredibly astronomical.

“Bills, other stupid things. Things that didn’t matter. Who didn’t wash the dishes last. Who forgot to take the trash out. It wasn’t important.” Bastian looked as if he regretted every single of those disagreements. Miroslav couldn’t blame him.

“Did you know Kevin?”

Bastian nodded. “I met him once or twice. He and Sarah got along well, despite the fact they didn’t grow up together. Every chance he got that Sarah wasn’t busy with something, he’d come down from Dortmund and they’d hang out. He was an all right guy.”

Arjen watched Miroslav warily but Miro disregarded it. Things were starting to click into place and he believed even more firmly that Bastian hadn’t killed Kevin, or Sarah.

“What happened the night Kevin was murdered?” Miro still needed to find out about that text message, and how Bastian knew about the hoodie suspect as well as the crucifix. Arjen made a sound of protest but Bastian spoke before his lawyer could.

“I really don’t know.” Bastian looked imploringly at Miroslav. “All I know is I was out with Mario and when I came back, Sarah was waiting for me and she was all shaken up. She was pale, was crying. I offered to take her to hospital, I thought she was ill, but she refused. She told me what she saw. I begged her, I _begged_ her to call the police, to tell you, but she said no.” Bastian’s eyes filled with tears at that point and Miroslav felt another pang. “She wouldn’t. She said she had to keep me safe and that if she told anyone…”

Bastian couldn’t finish because the emotions overwhelmed him at that point. Miro’s heart went out to him and he looked at Arjen.

“We’ll have him released. He’s free to go.”

Arjen nodded and waited until Bastian had recovered before he started to pack up his paperwork. Miro spoke again, causing everyone to stop where they were.

“Bastian, why didn’t you say any of this before? Your silence made you look suspicious.”

Bastian watched Miroslav with a heartbroken look on his face. He was quiet for several moments before he found the words somewhere deep inside of himself.

“I was in shock I guess. After all, how do you tell the officer investigating the death of your best friend, someone who you loved with all your heart, that you couldn’t be trusted by them to help them? How do you live with that?”

Miro watched Bastian and he shook his head. “One last question, if you please. What did Sarah tell you she had seen?”

Bastian shook his head and swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat.

“She wouldn’t tell me much. Only that she’d seen Kevin get stabbed and he’d fallen to the ground. He’d reached out for the person that’d done it, but he couldn’t get a hold of them or something. That part didn’t make any sense.” He frowned, in thought before he continued. “She said the guy, the one in the hoodie? He’d knelt down and picked something off of Kevin before he’d made a run for it down the alley.”

“Did she say if she’d been seen by this person?” Miro asked.

Bastian nodded slowly, pale as a sheet and he whispered. “She said they had. And that she knew who it was. She wouldn’t tell me any more.”

Miro nodded slowly. “I’m sorry for your loss, Bastian. I promise we’ll find out who did this.”

Bastian nodded and wiped roughly at his cheeks. “Thank you inspector. You actually are a pretty cool guy and not a dick like the other guy.”

Miro frowned. “Thank you for the compliment but if I may, which other guy?”

“I don’t know. Tall, brown hair, kinda ugly. Mitchel? Matt? Michael? Something like that. He’s a dick.”

“When did he speak to you?” Miro asked, hopefully casually.

“When he took me to booking.” Bastian shrugged. “Thanks again, inspector. And please let me know who did this?”

Miroslav nodded and watched as Arjen and Bastian left the room. He remained in his chair and looked at the empty seat that Bastian had just left. If Michael had talked to Bastian improperly, without his lawyer present, then that was a conduct violation and he could be suspended for that. Not that Miroslav was going to use that against him. But why had Michael been talking to the suspect anyway? It wasn’t his case. And why hadn’t Lukas or one of the other officers taken Bastian to booking? That was his job, not Michael’s.

A few more questions than answers started to swirl in his mind. He realized a little too late that he’d forgotten to ask about the text. Cursing to himself, Miroslav shook his head and moved over to the evidence lock up where Sarah’s phone had been placed. He signed it out and powered it on as he walked back to his office.

He sat down and checked his emails. No reply yet from Seb. Oh well. He then picked up Sarah’s phone again and stared at the message. He didn’t believe Bastian had done it and his explanations made sense. So what was a reasonable, rational explanation to this text message?

Miro thought about it for a while, just staring at the message. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been lost in thought for before Philipp came over and knocked on his doorframe. Miro blinked and looked up.

“Hey,” Philipp greeted and smiled slightly at Miro. “Klinsi told me I’m to help you finish your case?”

Miro nodded, a small sigh slipped out as he did. Philipp gave him an understanding look before he looked at the empty evidence bag on Miro’s desk and then at the phone in his hand.

“Need some help with something?”

Miro nodded and then looked thoughtfully at Philipp. “What would be a reasonable explanation to you sending a text message accusing someone of murder if you knew that person didn’t do it?”

Philipp paused a moment, thoughtful look on his face. He shrugged. “I don’t know. Sent it to the wrong person, I guess?”

Miro frowned. _Now why didn’t I think of that?_ He glanced at the screen on the phone and checked Sarah’s contacts. Bastian wasn’t listed as Schweinsteiger or Bastian. He was under ‘My love’. _That was cute._ Miro shook his head absently as he read the contacts near his position and he froze, eyes widened as he did so.

“Fuck.” He swore, causing great surprise in Philipp but Miro didn’t care. He reached for the phone and dialed Sebastian’s number as quickly as he could. It took a few beats of the phone to ring before someone answered.

“Is Detective Kehl in? It’s urgent.” Miro told the operator.

“Just a moment sir, I’ll transfer you.” She said before the phone began to ring again. Miroslav tapped his fingers impatiently on his knee.

“This is Kehl.” The voice of his friend came across after what felt like hours. Miro looked at Philipp who was watching him with a curious expression on his face.

“Seb? It’s Miro. I need you to check something for me and get me an address. I know who our killer is and you can help me find him.”


	13. Thirteen: A Secret Worth Killing For

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well... we've arrived. The ending. Enjoy ;) ~~Don't kill me for the ending??~~

It was a boring case; it was simple, easy, easily solved. To have been put on it was laughable. _They trusted you to work it alone. That’s something._ Thomas told himself and he had to admit, that was true. He was doing a case alone. _Because Miroslav didn’t want me around anymore._

He didn’t want to believe it. It hurt. Then again, what did he expect? The man was quiet, so quiet that he probably didn’t like to cause waves in an ocean, never mind the workplace. It probably really was a bad idea to sleep with his boss; how many movies and books had he seen and read where that scenario ended well for everyone involved? Never.

Thomas nodded to Torsten as he released the body. It was fairly simple enough, hell he could probably get a confession out of the kid that shot the lady if he wanted to. Even if he didn’t, there had been plenty of witnesses that had seen it happen. It was easy.

His phone went. Thomas reached into his pocket and he almost didn’t answer it once he saw who was calling. _Probably calling to check up, no doubt._ Thomas sighed but answered it anyway.

“Yes, Sir?” He asked and waited for Miroslav to speak. He frowned when he heard sirens in the background.

“Where are you?” Miro asked quickly, dispensing with any form of pleasantries. That wasn’t normal.

“Checking out the case you sent me on.” Thomas replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “What’s going on?”

“No, I mean literally, _where_ are you?” 

Thomas glanced to the nearest street sign he could. “I’m just off of Herzogstraße in Schwabing-West. Why? Where are you?”

He heard Miroslav curse and his eyebrows shot up. Miroslav doesn’t curse.

“Sir?” He asked, hesitatingly. Something was going on. Something important.

“Listen! I need you to listen to me Thomas.” Miro started and then rephrased more gently. “Philipp and I are in pursuit of the suspect who killed Kevin and Sarah. He’s likely to be in one of three places and you’re close enough to one of them that you can get there before we do. All you have to do is go back to _Schadenfreude_ and the alley. If we’re right then we’ll get to him first, but you’re just needed to see if he’s there. Understand?”

Thomas nodded. Then he remembered he was on the phone. “Yes, sir. I understand. Just tell me who I’m looking for first.”

“Thomas, you’re not to engage the suspect. Just stay back and let us know if he’s there. You have to promise me that.” There was something in his tone. Thomas’ rebellious streak wanted to flare up and throw a party, show the boss man how things could get done. But something in Miro’s tone erred on caution. After all this person had killed two people already.

“Yes, Miro. I promise.”

“Good. Now the person you’re looking for is—”

\---

Philipp and Miroslav checked the second of the two places they thought the killer could be and Miro angrily kicked at a can lingering on the pavement. He wasn’t there, at the address Seb had dug up for them: his grandmother’s old house. And he wasn’t at Sarah’s apartment either.

“He’s got to be at the _Schadenfreude_ then. There’s no other place for him to go back to. He wouldn’t have lingered in town anywhere else.” Philipp said as they stood by the car.

“The hotel! What about the hotel? He could’ve stayed there and planned and schemed.” Miro said, refusing to believe that he could’ve sent Müller into danger.

Philipp shook his head. “We would have heard something by now. The staff would’ve let us know…”

Miro nodded and sighed before getting in the car. “Let’s go then. To the club. I hope Thomas actually listened to instructions and waited.”

Philipp looked out of the corner of his eye to Miro and raised an eyebrow. “You really think he waited? That’s kind of you.”

Miro kept his jaw line tense and shook his head. He refused to believe that Thomas would’ve disobeyed him this once.

\---

Thomas arrived on scene and made sure to park a couple blocks down the road. He noticed nothing unusual for the time of night that it was. Foot traffic was minimal, no one appeared overly suspicious. He thought one or two lads may be swapping a few euros for some weed, but that was there business. He wasn’t going to stop a good time and ruin a perfectly good case.

Having already planned ahead, Thomas made sure to lift the collar of his coat as he got out of the car. He was going to walk once past the alley as casually as he could, just to make sure all was well. That’s what he’d told himself anyway.

He put his hands in his pockets and walked down the pavement of the sidewalk. It was damp, having rained earlier. Thomas kept himself alert as the sound of the club grew steadily louder and louder. _At least it was a good song_ , Thomas thought as he came up to the alley. He started to continue past as if he was a normal pedestrian.

And that’s when he saw it. Or rather, he saw _them_.

Thomas knew right then and there that he was going to have to defy Miro’s direct order. He didn’t have a choice. Swallowing hard, Thomas made sure he turned the safety off on his weapon and he took a deep breath before he turned and walked into the alley next to the _Schadenfreude_.

\---

“Why the hell is traffic so bad on a _Sunday_?!” Miro demanded, his temper flaring up.

“Relax, Miro. We’ll get there soon. We’re only a few miles away.” Philipp said, watching his temporary partner with concern. “Müller will be fine for a few more moments.”

Miro looked like he wanted to protest that point but he didn’t speak. Instead, his eyes glared at the car in front of them as if he could burn a hole through it and all the way through the stop-and-go traffic that separated them from their youngest partner, from Thomas.

As soon as they were back in the office in one piece, he and Thomas were going to have a nice long chat about trust and following orders. _There is no way in Hell he waited._ That would’ve been too easy. Thomas’ had a natural curious streak that would serve him well in the inspector position he was going to end up at one day. However, on days like today, it was most decidedly not a good thing. _If curiosity gets him killed…_

Miro shook his head. No. He couldn’t go through the death of another partner. Not again.

“Just hurry up, Fips.”

Philipp looked at Miro again, concern on his face. This was clearly more than just worry over a partner. Quietly, Philipp spoke.

“I’m trying, Miroslav.”

\---

Thomas quietly advanced, hand on still in his pocket but it was wrapped around the handle of his gun. He wasn’t going to startle anyone into anything stupid. He wasn’t that crazy.

Cautiously, he approached, eyes taking in the scene in front of him. One of them was on the ground, legs splayed as their body was unmoving. Their head was cradled in the other’s lap and Thomas shook his head. So that was a third victim, then. Only this time it was different. The figure cradling the head of the other man’s shoulders were shaking.

He was sobbing.

“Marco?” Thomas called quietly, hopefully not startling him too badly. Crazy crying people wasn’t a good thing, ever. “Marco, it’s Thomas.”

The other man sniffled. “I know who it is. Your cologne gave you away.”

Thomas remembered the few times he and the other man had traded some banter and a joke over the past few days. He’d had no idea that this man was the killer. He felt sick knowing it now.

“I’ll remember to wear less next time.” He replied, watching him warily.

“Do that.” Marco replied, another quiet sniffle as he cradled the dead man’s head.

_Mario._ Another stab wound to the chest scenario, Thomas thought as he shook his head.

“Marco, tell me what happened. Tell me what really happened.” Thomas spoke quietly, carefully moving into Marco’s line of sight. This time, unlike the other times, the knife was still in Mario’s chest. Thomas didn’t see any other weapons.

Thomas stayed on the perimeter of Marco’s sight and he moved to sit on a crate on the other side of Mario. He kept himself low, level and equal with Marco. This was a delicate situation that brute force would decimate. Someone would end up hurt that way, and Thomas didn’t want anyone else to suffer.

Marco watched Thomas, tearstains on his cheeks. His eyes were dark, darker than they’d ever been that Thomas had seen him. There was a small smudge of blood on his cheek. Thomas guessed that’s from where he’d cradled Mario’s body against his own.

“I didn’t have a choice, Thomas.” Marco said distantly. “I had to do it. I had to kill them.”

“Why?” Thomas asked softly as he sat on the crate.

“Kevin knew. Kevin knew what I’d done and he was going to tell.” Marco’s eyes seemed to fill with tears again as he looked down at Mario with every look of a heartbroken man. “I couldn’t let him tell.”

Thomas watched as Marco started to cry again. He waited a few moments to see if Marco was going to speak again. When he didn’t, Thomas gently prompted further.

“What was he going to tell?”

Marco’s shoulders continued to shake with his sobs before he sobered enough to reply.

“About the first time.” Marco sniffled and looked at Thomas. “Haven’t you ever done something, something you regretted but it made things so much better? It gave you what you wanted? Haven’t you ever done something like that?”

Thomas didn’t know what the hell Marco was talking about. He was talking in riddles and it didn’t make any sense. He wanted to say enough of this and to have some sense start being made, but he couldn’t. He was knee-deep into some super kind of crazy and for a moment he wished he had just listened to Miro and waited.

That’s when he saw the gun.

Next to Marco’s knee, a small pistol waited for someone to pick it up and use it.

_Scheiße._ He should have waited.

“Yeah, yeah I have.” Thomas replied to answer Marco’s question. “I slept with my boss once.”

Thankfully Marco didn’t appear to care about _what_ he said, only _that_ he had said something in agreement to his own belief.

“Then you understand! It’s okay to do a bad thing if it makes things better, right? It’s okay to make yourself happy. Isn’t it?” Marco looked imploringly at him.

Thomas nodded. “It is okay to make yourself happy, Marco. But you can’t go around killing people to do it.”

For the first time since he’d arrived, Marco looked malevolent then. Something dark flashed across his expression and Thomas’ grip instinctively tightened on his pistol.

“I didn’t have a choice. Mario was going to stay with _Him_ and they were going to be together. Mario didn’t see, he didn’t know. _He_ had to go.” Marco’s tone had grown cold, angry. Thomas felt the hairs standing up on his neck.

“Mario was with someone else?” Thomas asked. Marco nodded, eyes still almost black with rage.

“Manuel, Ducky everyone called him. He was perfect. Mario thought so. I heard about him often enough. ‘Ducky did this’, ‘Ducky did that’. He was wonderful, perfect, never could do anything wrong, unlike me. He was funny, smart. He would’ve been somebody one day, you know?” Thomas nodded despite having no idea who this ‘Ducky’ was. Marco continued ranting.

“I didn’t mean to kill him. Honestly, I didn’t. I went to talk to him. I wanted to convince him that Mario and I could be happy together. I loved Mario for so long,” the tears started again as Marco held tighter to the body of his dead boyfriend. “I just wanted to be the best for him. Neuer laughed in my face. He told me that he and Mario were going to be happy and that Mario didn’t need me to be happy. He turned to walk away from me and I hit him. I couldn’t stop. I just kept hitting and hitting and—”

Marco looked down at Mario and his lip trembled. “I’m so sorry, Mario. I just wanted you to myself.”

Thomas thought he could start piecing the puzzle back together. But that didn’t explain why Sarah had died.

“What about Sarah?” Thomas asked quietly, snapping Marco’s attention straight back to himself.

“Sarah? I hadn’t wanted to hurt her either. I wouldn’t have. But she saw me with Kevin and the fight we were having. I didn’t mean to hurt him either, Thomas.” Marco looked at Thomas earnestly then. “You believe me don’t you?”

Thomas wasn’t stupid enough to disagree right now. So he nodded. “Of course I do.”

Marco looked relieved. Thomas thought he heard a car down the road but he couldn’t tell. The song had changed in the club right next to him and it was full of low-bass drops. It would be hard to tell much of anything that happened in this alley, whether he called for help or if someone fired a gun. Unless the song changed, no one outside the alley would hear anything about it.

“Why here? Why this alley?” Thomas asked just out of curiosity. Two murders in one alley. Coincidence or was there something more?

Marco shook his head. “This club, it’s where me and Mario met for the first time. Where I first knew I loved him. We had one dance, and I knew.” Marco smiled then, and Thomas felt the goosebumps run across his skin from the shudder he had. “I knew no one else would be the one for me.”

Marco looked down and smoothed Mario’s hair, looking lovingly at the boy in his arms.

“No one else but you for me.” He repeated again and Thomas saw him reaching for the gun.

“Marco! Marco,” he said again, softer. “Mario wouldn’t want this. He wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.”

Marco laughed but there was no humor in it. “He wouldn’t want anyone else other than Manuel either, but that’s not where we are, is it?”

He looked at Thomas then. They watched one another for a few moments and Thomas wondered where the hell Miroslav was. How long did it take to figure out their killer was right _here_?

“I don’t want to live in a world without Mario in it. I didn’t mean to do it, Thomas. Kevin, Sarah…I didn’t mean it. I just loved him.”

“How did Kevin find out about Manuel?” Thomas asked as Marco’s hand closed around the handle of the gun by his knee.

“I don’t know. He said someone from the police in Berlin told him. It didn’t matter. He knew enough that I knew he wasn’t lying. I’d just wanted him to believe that it was all old history; that it didn’t matter. Everyone had moved on. He wouldn’t stop. Sarah was on her way to talk to us when she saw it. I ran off but she saw me anyway.”

Thomas nodded understandingly as he glanced up and saw two figured enter the alley. Finally. _At last._

“Marco, let’s go back and talk about this.” Thomas suggested in the same gentle tone he’d used all encounter. Marco shook his head.

“No. I’m not going anywhere.” He raised the gun then, but he was pointing it at himself instead of at Thomas. “I told you. I don’t want to live without Mario.”

Thomas took both hands out of his pockets and held them up cautiously. “Marco, please. Don’t do this.”

Marco shook his head, but the gun lowered slightly at an angle. “I don’t have a choice. I never had a choice.”

Several things happened in that moment. Several very important things that caused the chain of events that followed that moment.

First, Philipp announced their presence behind Marco and the scene. Second, Marco’s head turned to look at them, startled that someone else had arrived. Third, Thomas decided to take advantage of the fact he was surprised and lunged forward.

And fourthly, finally, and most importantly: a gun went off.

Miro watched it happen as if it were some great film playing in front of him instead of real life. He saw what Thomas was going to do and his voice called a warning too late; the warning echoed around the brick walls of the alley as the gunshot went off. His heart stopped a moment later as Thomas fell forward onto Marco’s body. Philipp had rushed forward and Miro was only a moment behind him.

Marco had pushed Thomas’ body off of himself and Philipp was right there to catch Marco’s hands before he had a chance to fire the weapon again. He kicked the gun that Marco had used out of the way and took his hands and struggled for a few moments before he got the other man on his stomach and in hand cuffs. 

Miro made sure their killer was secure before he moved to Thomas’ side and knelt down next to him. When he saw the entry point of the wound, his stomach dropped. _Oh no._

Thomas was watching him, his blue eyes wide in surprise.

“I should’ve…” he said, gasping from the pain. “I should’ve waited.”

Miro nodded in agreement, no smile in his voice. “You should have, you stupid ass.”

Thomas smiled a little and he took Miro’s hand tightly. Miro squeezed it and kept a tight hold. He heard Philipp calling for an ambulance from what seemed like a thousand miles away.

“Miro…we caught him. He confessed.” Thomas whispered and Miro smiled slightly, his thumb brushing along the back of Thomas’ hand.

“I know. I’m proud of you.” Miro said and Thomas’ smile stayed in place, though the grip on Miroslav’s hand had loosened a little. His eyes weren’t as clear as they had been a moment ago.

“Thomas? Thomas!” Miro squeezed his hand as tightly as possible; it did no good. Moving quickly, he moved to staunch the blood flow from Thomas’ wound by using his coat. “Thomas, stay with me now. I don’t want to have to have this conversation again. You’re staying my constable until I say so, all right?”

Thomas’ voice was faint, smile slipping from his mouth. “Of course, Sir.”

Miro felt his heart squeeze. “Good. So stay awake for me. Just stay awake, Thomas.”

Sirens could be heard in the distance but Miro kept his eyes focused only on Thomas. It had taken him a long time to realize that he did like his constable, his partner. Maybe liked to the point of loving him a little bit. He wasn’t one-hundred percent sure yet, but with time, he was sure it wouldn’t be hard to love the goofy man that rushed into situations without proper back up or a fully formed plan.

Miro shook his head. This wasn’t going to end this way. He couldn’t do it again. He’d held one dying partner’s hand; he wasn’t ever going to do that again. Not ever.

“I’m not going to lose you now.” Miro murmured and hoped Thomas could hear. “I just found you.”

Thomas’ smile returned to his face, even as his eyes closed and the grip on Miroslav’s hand went slack.


	14. Fourteen: Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this really is the last part. Thank you very much to everyone who has read, commented, liked, rec'd whatever with this story. I appreciate it all so much and I'm proud of me for actually completing something like this in so short a time. I have an awful track record with multiparts but thankfully, that track record stopped here ;) :D
> 
> I left a few questions unanswered, so maybe one day there will be a sequel. As for now... this is the end. Thank you for reading <333333

“What I still want to know is why Marco killed Mario. That doesn’t make any sense to me.” 

Sebastian was squinting as the sun was fully in his face in Miro’s backyard. He had finally come down from Dortmund for that match. Bayern had won, obviously, and they were currently having a barbecue in the backyard. Miro’s treat, naturally.

Miro shrugged as he played with the label on his beer. Sylwia had Luan and Noah playing football in the grass. She was trying to be the goalkeeper. Miro heard more laughing than anything else. He was blessed to be sitting with his family.

“Mario found out what he’d done. He was trying to convince Marco to go to the police and turn himself in. Reus couldn’t do it.”

“How did Mario find out though?”

That had been worrying him too. “I don’t know. Marco said someone from Berlin had told him, but that doesn’t make any sense. Klinsi told me to close the case though. So I have.”

Sebastian nodded. “I suppose that’s for the best. Let the dead bury their own, and all that.”

Miro nodded even though he didn’t quite agree. Something still wasn’t right about the mysterious source in Berlin. However, Marco had confessed again on recording and was being rushed through trial. He would most likely end up in a facility rather than prison, but maybe that was the best place for him.

“I’m just glad he confessed again, so I didn’t have to go testify.”

Miroslav looked to the speaker as he walked out of the house. Thomas didn’t look much worse for wear but Miro knew the stitches near his shoulder, above his heart, were still there. He came to stand next to Miroslav’s chair, resting his hand on the back of it.

Sebastian looked up at him and smiled before looking back to Miro where his smile softened a little into a more knowing smile. Miro shrugged slightly and looked out over the garden.

“I’m glad you didn’t have to testify either. You can recover before we get back to work.” Miro replied simply, as if he hadn’t been as worried over Thomas as he had actually been.

He replied as though he knew everything was going to be fine from the start and not that he had been worried sick as Thomas had passed out at the scene before the ambulance arrived. He spoke as though he hadn’t demanded to ride with him while Philipp took Marco in. He spoke as though he hadn’t waited through several hours of surgery, not knowing if his partner was going to make it.

Thomas must’ve rolled his eyes or made some other kind of funny face because Seb began to chuckle a little. He shook his head with a smile still on his face.

Luan called over from where the boys were playing.

“Thomas, come play with us. Mummy kind of sucks at this.”

“Luan!”

“What? It’s true, Noah.”

“That may be but you can’t just say things like that…”

Thomas grinned and moved over towards the boys after Sylwia excused herself back to the food, agreeing that perhaps it would be best if someone else took over for a while.

Miro’s expression turned into a fond smile as he watched the three boys played football. Seb watched him.

“He’s good for you. Keep him around.” Sebastian said, leaning back into his chair.

Miro didn’t look over, even as the boys and Thomas called for both him and Sebastian to join and play a match. As the two older men stood up, Miro replied back to Sebastian, his eyes still on Thomas.

“I intend to.”


End file.
